The Dosadi Suite - Cycle 1 - Fugue
by OrionXIII
Summary: A young Star Fleet ensign joins the Officer Exchange Program with the Dosadi Imperium and ends up finding more than he bargained for while he keeps unknowingly crossing paths with a mysterious alien Colonel. Love, Loss, Life, and Death all play their parts. A few edits, plus a prologue and story notes for the full book.
1. Story Notes

The Dosadi Suite

Story Notes

This is actually a full book, broken into 5 cycles and 3 codas. The story is being told by a reporter – if you want to read things in order here's your table of contents:

Cycle 1 - Fugue

Prologue – Sets the stage.

The story of how a young human Star Fleet engineer meets and falls in love with a Dosadi Imperial Marine. Crosses the events of Coda 2, and 3. Minor appearance by Nurse Chapel.

Cycle 2 – Triad

Continues the story of Wilkes and Sooth, their struggles to have a child while dealing with the espionage intrigues of a Hydran Colonel. Minor appearances by CPT Kirk and CDR Spock.

Cycle 3 – Pivot

Continues the story of Wilkes and Sooth as they become involved in stopping a bio-weapon from being released on Earth under a flag of truce.

Coda 1 – Raid on Romulus

Details the events of the Dosadi raid that destroyed the Romulon capitol city.

Coda 2 – Free For All At Toulagai

Details the events of the first battle where Wilkes, Sooth and COL Jons first met – though on opposite sides.

Coda 3 – The Long Night

Details the events of the Dosadi assault on a Gorn battlestation to recover a defector.

Cycle 4 – Minuet

Tells the story Wilkes' and Sooth's daughter Heather's time at Starfleet Academy while she learns to be a Federation fighter pilot and a details a series of Cardassian atrocities.

Cycle 5 – Finale

Tells the story of Wilkes' and Sooth's son Corin, a Dosadi Special Forces Soldier and his rescue of a young Dosadi child after the Cardassians capture a critical Dosadi planet – and the Dosadi's attempt to retake the planet.

Epilogue – Wraps it all up for you.

End Notes & Acknowledgments – copyright and title information for song lyrics and thanks to the folks who've provided help and suggestions!

I would VERY much like any comments, suggestions, or reviews you would care to offer – positive or negative, even if it's just 'This didn't hook my interest'. Thank you for taking the time to read it!


	2. Prologue

_**PROLOGUE**_

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago-never mind how long precisely -having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on...No, no. Forgive me. I have recently been exposed to a number of ancient entertainments of various types and I'm afraid it has warped my sense of humor somewhat.

The truth is, I'm normally a reporter, not a historian. But the two seem to overlap sometimes as one must truly dig into the background of a story to understand it and in order to accurately present it. I've been fortunate in that I've done enough solid, popular work for the media outfit that I work for that I was allowed to follow my nose on a story of my own choosing. You never really know where such investigations will take you or how the story will affect your life. It's not uncommon to become as much a part of the story as those you're reporting on.

When I was still in primary school on Earth, there had been an incident between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. At that time the Cardassians were still very much an unknown to humans and I was at just the right age for it to enthrall me. It had all the elements of an adventure story, a spy story, and a war story, and I still remember watching all the coverage I could find. I think that story and the excellent work done by those doing the producing played a major part in my becoming a journalist. _I_ wanted to be the man telling these stories, not just watching them.

During my early years with Argus (you may not know this but Argus is actually owned by a Hydran conglomerate – look it up yourself!), I found myself doing a fair amount of war reporting – conflict always attracts people's attention – and made something of a name for myself doing so. I did some historical specials focusing on Federation heroes, and even one in Klingon on the historical basis for the legend of Kahless. So it was natural, when given leave to do an independent project, that I would return to that first story that captured my attention and start looking into the background of the main players.

I'm sure you're all aware that history is replete with individuals who seem to stand astride the events of their day and re-align things to their own liking. Napoleon Bonaparte of Earth, Surak of Vulcan, Kahless of Qo'noS, and more recently for the Federation, individuals like Captain James T. Kirk or Captain Jonathan Archer. There is always the on-going question as to whether the events make the man, or the man makes the event. With individuals of such surpassing influence, I prefer to believe that the man makes the event, at least in their rare cases.

However, there are also, scattered throughout the history of man – in whatever form you find him, be it Human, Vulcan, Dosadi, or any other sentient shape – entire families that seem to be intertwined in the fabric of history with influence well beyond what one would expect. These families exert a tremendous impact on our times, but sometimes seem to remain nearly unnoticed.

When I began to pull on the threads attached to the young woman who had been so central to that story which had so captivated me as a boy, I found just such a family. Encountering them nearly killed me and has deeply altered the course of my life.

There are really five major strands to their story and I shall break my tale down to follow those paths. The first three take place across almost twenty years and covers several events you may never have even heard of, although they were tremendously significant to the Federation and a number of other powers. The fourth finally tells the true story of the incident that set me on my path, and the fifth covers the more recent events that almost everyone in the galaxy is familiar with to some degree.

To begin, I will need to take you back, over fifty years ago to the glory days of Captain James Kirk and the _USS Enterprise_...


	3. Chapter 1

_**CYCLE 1 – FUGUE**_

_**CHAPTER 1**_

"_The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are." _ _- John Pierpoint Morgan – Earth (Human)_

STARFLEET ACADEMY, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH

JUNE, 2267

Ensign Thomas Wilkes looked wistfully at the scenery at the edge of the landing field. San Francisco was beautiful any time of year, but early summer always seemed to bring out the best in the Bay area and the view was spectacular. The Golden Gate Bridge was poking her towers up above the sparkling blue waters of the bay, with a few puffy clouds overhead in the cobalt sky. The aroma of California Roses from the Academy's immaculate gardens scented the air.

He had to admit that it had been an interesting four years and he'd often wondered if he'd be allowed to graduate at all. He'd had plenty of fun, exploring California's hills and coast, much as he'd explored the various offerings at the Academy before finally settling on Engineering and Power Generation and Distribution Systems as a focus. He sighed to himself. Nothing really seemed to ever catch his interest for long. Taking the entrance exam at 16 back in North Yorkshire, England, had been a freak thing – passing it had been even more of a freak event. But he really didn't have anything better to do with his time. His parents were not all that well off so University was out, and taking over the family farm just really didn't seem like his thing.

Starfleet only asked for eight years – and four of them were spent in the Academy so why not? Get a chance to get out, see some of the universe, have some fun, then maybe try to figure out what to do with his life. It was insane expecting teenagers to know what they wanted to do with themselves. But there you had it – that's how the world worked. You were expected to fit in, to be like everybody else and do the same things at the same time and...he sighed again.

"Hey, Wilksey, why the heavy sighs?" he heard a silky voice ask.

Turning to face the speaker he said "Hello Angie." and smiled. Angie had been one of the very nice things about his Junior year and in fact had almost been responsible for him flunking out. Well, one of the times he almost flunked out, anyway. Spending time in his quarters with her was a lot more fun than going to class. But it had really only been a fling for both of them – She had plans for her life and had her eye on the big chair. Glancing down at the way she filled out her gold Command-branch uniform tunic he continued "Just being me, is all. Still not really sure where I'm going or why."

She laughed, a sound that still sent thrills up his back, "Wilksey, I just have the feeling that there's something out there for you. I have said for AGES that you're special. You just need to..."

He interrupted with a laugh, "Apply myself! I know, I know. I've heard that about every 2 weeks from one counselor or another since I was 12."

She leaned in close and gave him a solid kiss, which he returned with interest. "I got the posting I wanted!" she smiled and began putting her very non-regulation long chestnut brown curls into a more regulation pony-tail.

"Enterprise?" he asked, stunned. The _USS Enterprise_ was the top choice of pretty much every graduate. There were legends going around about that particular ship and you had to be cream of the crop to get a berth there.

"Yes. I'll be starting out in astrogation, so I might even get bridge qualified in a few weeks!"

"Angie, that's amazing!" he said, genuinely pleased. "You'll be Captain Stone before you're 30!"

She laughed again, happy and excited, "Probably not that fast, but who knows? Where are you headed? That garbage scow you always figured Dr. Reynolds had in mind for you?"

He laughed, "No, believe it or not, the _Hood_."

She was surprised, "The _Hood_? For real? How'd you swing that?"

"I have no idea. Dr. Reynolds told me that I was specifically requested. He looked like he just bit into a lemon when he told me."

She looked at him for a few moments. "Requested? Wilksey, I don't want to be mean, but you were the absolute bottom of the class. One more demerit, one point less on any test and you would've flunked out. Why would they request you for one of the top Constitution-class cruisers in the fleet?"

He shrugged, "I have no idea. But I'm supposed to report to Chief Engineer White in Main Engineering."

Shaking her head, but smiling, she kissed him again and said, "Wilksey, I've said since I met you that you're the luckiest man on Earth. I've got to go – my shuttle's boosting in like 2 minutes." She slung her duffel over her shoulder and hurried off to a waiting shuttlecraft, emblazoned with _NCC-1701/3 USS ENTERPRISE_ along her side and the name _COPERNICUS_ in jaunty script on her nose. He enjoyed the view as she walked away. Definitely something to miss.

He wondered again why he couldn't seem to really commit to a relationship; or anything else. Angie was an amazing woman – you'd think he'd have chased after her with everything he had in him, but it had been the other way around. She was only his second lover after an awkward and fumbling affair in secondary school. Women were just one more thing that he liked but could never really get that focused on.

Sighing again, he shouldered his own duffel and walked the short distance across the field to the shuttlecraft from the _Hood_, found a seat and strapped in. A few minutes later, the little ship lifted off and pointed her nose to the stars and he was on his way. He spent most of the ride up wondering just why he had been requested, and by whom.

When the shuttlecraft landed in the _Hood's_ aft bay, he didn't have long to wait. Each of the eight newly-minted Ensigns aboard were met by a runner from their section and escorted directly to their waiting supervisors. Since Wilkes was the only Engineer among the group, he quickly found himself standing at attention in front of a compact little Australian with a neatly shaved head. The office was packed with technical manuals and the man's desk was covered with coffee stains and paperwork. At the moment, he was kicked back in his chair with his feet on his desk, scrutinizing one Ensign Thomas Wilkes.

The subject of his study was getting more uncomfortable by the second. Trying to keep his back straight and his eyes focused on an imaginary spot on the office wall, he wondered exactly what was going on here. He'd been called on the carpet before, but usually they started right in as to what was wrong – and he hadn't done anything yet!

Finally, Chief Engineer Ethan White broke the silence, "And why are you here in my office, Ensign Wilkes?"

Thoroughly puzzled, he tried to explain, "Sir, I was ordered to report to Chief Engineer White aboard the _USS Hood_ and that is why I am here."

"Don't be a drongo, Wilkes. You're an Engineer. Explain to me why you are here."

"Someone aboard specifically requested me, sir."

"And why would that be?"

"I honestly have no idea, sir. I was expecting a...smaller ship."

"You were expecting a garbage scow. I spoke to Dr. Reynolds at the Academy." White laughed. "You were the Goat this year. In fact, you've managed to set a sort of record – you have the lowest passing score ever recorded for a Cadet, in fact, the lowest score _possible_ for a Cadet. So, again, why are you here?"

Thinking quickly Wilkes came up with the answer, "YOU requested me, sir?"

"Very good Wilkes! Any idea why?"

"No, sir."

"Wilkes, the Goat is a rather unique position at the Academy and that...honor... traces its lineage back to the old military academies of pre-atomic Earth. Interestingly, the Goats have a tendency to exceed all expectations and often exceed the accomplishments of the top of their class. They are statistical odd-balls and misfits who seem to be able to find a way through the most unusual circumstances and come out on top. Often heroically.

"I've looked into your history, Wilkes. You are _young_. You took the entrance exam – and passed – despite nearly flunking out of secondary school. How is that possible?"

Clearing his throat, Wilkes said, "I guess I just never applied myself, sir."

"Psycho-babble bullshit, Wilkes. I've read your files. I've talked with your parents. I know everything there is to know about you. You're a square peg in a world of round holes in a lot of ways. But I think there's some potential here, and I intend to take advantage of this tendency of yours to fall into the shit and come out smelling like a rose. Get your gear squared away in your quarters. You report to Lieutenant Jerkowycz tomorrow morning at dilithium control.

"And Wilkes. You're holding out on me. Cough it up."

"OH! Yes, sir!" Wilkes dug into his duffel and pulled out a wrapped package. "Mother didn't say who this was for."

"Your mother is a saint, Wilkes. A home-made Yorkshire curd tart FROM Yorkshire is too good to pass up. I'll admit that's part of the reason I requested you. If I catch you causing her any stress, I'll have you fed into the warp drives. Dismissed." he happily began unwrapping his package.

FEDERATION HEAVY CRUISER USS HOOD, UNDER WAY

DECEMBER 2267

Six months later, Wilkes again found himself in front of White's battered old desk, uncomfortably bearing the scrutiny of the Chief Engineer.

"Wilkes. Once again, you come before me. And why is that?"

Wilkes HATED his tendency to start his 'interviews' by demanding that the one summoned explain why he was summoned. He hadn't done anything wrong...lately. Of course he hadn't done anything spectacularly right either. He had just done what he was supposed to do. "I believe you want to check on my progress, sir? It's been almost 6 months since I reported aboard."

White rolled his eyes, "Wrong. Bzzzt! Good guess though, I suppose. How do you like working on the engines, Wilkes?"

Uh-oh. "It's OK sir."

"Not terribly exciting, is it? At least not if you're doing everything right. In Warp Engineering, if things are getting exciting, someone has really stuffed it. Ever interested in branching out?"

"Branching out?"

"There's a lot more to Starfleet engineering than just warp power, Wilkes. A lot more to learn. If you're ever thinking of really moving up in rank, you have to broaden your focus. Or are you just a one-term wally? Keep your head down, do the bare minimum, never poke your head up, and get out. Waste your whole enlistment doing nothing?"

Wilkes bristled, "NO, sir. I just don't really know what I want to do yet."

"And you never will until you get some experience beyond fine-tuning matter/anti-matter flow rates and juggling plasma fields. From what your supervisor tells me, you're not having any trouble with the work. You have an excellent understanding of the theory and the practice, you just lack the hands-on experience." He paused. "Wilkes, what do you know about the Dosadi?"

Dredging his memory from the Academy he answered, "Um, they're a race of cat-people. Very vicious fighters and they like to fight a lot. The Federation made first-contact a bit over a century ago. They use a lot of Federation technology and we tend to back them in brush wars, which they fight a lot of. Smaller empire out towards the Klingons and Romulons if I recall. You see them on Earth every now and again in some of the bigger cities. They seem to be historians if I recall correctly."

"Close enough. Tell me about fighters."

"Fighters, sir? The _Hood_ doesn't normally carry fighters."

"I didn't ask you what the _Hood_ carried, Wilkes."

"Fighters. Either a big, heavily armed shuttlecraft with limited warp capability or a really small, underpowered and under-armored starship depending upon your point of view. Becoming more popular in fleet actions for their flexibility and ability to deliver heavy payloads, but they have very high casualty rates."

"Good. I prefer the very small starship point of view myself. Did you study their systems at all?"

"Yes, sir, actually I did. One of my professors was a big proponent of fighter tactics. I got to work on a couple different models. They're a lot more complex than shuttlecraft with more redundant systems and of course they're optimized for combat."

White smiled. "Spot-on, Wilkes. How married to the whole idea of rank are you?"

"Sir?"

"How important is it to you that you outrank crewmen and you can give them orders? Is your status as an officer critical to your self-image?"

"I _like_ being an officer, sir. But I suppose I don't really care. When you're working on something it just matters that you get the job done to standard."

"That's pretty much what your supervisor told me about you and about what I'd expect from you. You never struck me as someone who was that concerned with symbols and all the trappings of rank and all that crap. All right, Wilkes, I think you'll do. Come with me." And he stood up and began to leave the office.

Completely confused again, Wilkes followed his Chief down to one of the smaller briefing rooms. As they entered the room, Wilkes almost missed a step. There, big as life, was a five-foot tall version of puss-in-boots.

Now the Chief's question about the Dosadi made sense, Wilkes thought to himself. And this one had rank, if he was reading the silver stripes on his shoulders correctly.

White walked up to the big cat, clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Captain Nolin! It's great to see you again."

The tan-and-cream colored cat smiled back, showing some good-sized canines and gripped his arm. "White, it's been too long. Captain Karmes said that you had a candidate in mind."

"I believe I do, Nolin. This is Ensign Wilkes, one of our newest engineers with a focus on power engineering, but I think he's more of a generalist then that."

Wilkes wondered exactly what the Chief had in mind as he tried to study the alien Captain. He looked like a big cougar that had decided to stand upright and upgrade his paws for hands. He was wearing dark blue trousers with a bronze stripe down each leg, a sword for Christ's sake, black boots, and a black cloak. He spoke Standard but with a hint of an accent, almost Swedish sounding he thought.

Then he noticed that the cat was sizing him up as well.

"Wilkes. Did Chief Engineer White tell you what we've got in mind?"

"No, sir. Not yet, sir."

Nolin turned slightly and smiled, "Still keeping secrets from everyone, White?"

"Old habits die hard, mate." He smiled back.

Turning back to Wilkes he continued, "Are you familiar with the Officer Exchange Program, Ensign Wilkes?"

Wondering if every senior officer in the universe started their interviews out with questions he answered "Yes sir."

"Ever consider it?"

Wilkes was genuinely surprised. The Officer Exchange Program was usually for the elite – people who would represent the very best of the Federation. How did HE get picked for this? "Honestly sir, I had not."

Nodding, Nolin put his hand on his sword hilt and thought for a moment. "Chief White thinks highly of you, Wilkes, or he would not have brought you here. I command the Imperial Dosadi assault carrier _Delos_. She's brand new, still fitting out, really. White and I are, as you've probably guessed, old comrades. He suggested a trade to help both our cultures. But, there's a bit of a difficulty."

"What's that sir?"

"Well, the person I want to send over is an enlisted rank. A Crew Leader – A Petty Officer in your system. Chief White is fine with that, and he'll be filling in your position with a temporary rank of acting Ensign. IF you decide to take advantage of this opportunity. And here's the problem. You would be filling in HIS position – a position beneath your rank and status."

Wilkes thought to himself Ahhhh...Now I understand all the questions White was asking about that. But Nolin was continuing:

"However, you'd be in charge of more people than you are now – you'd have a crew of 4 reporting directly to you and you'd be in charge of all the power, energy weapons, and shields on an F-14 _Tomcat_ fighter. You'd be getting experience in leadership and in a broad range of systems. But it IS beneath your rank. In fact, YOU would be reporting to an enlisted man, although you would outrank him, your position is beneath him. It's technically grade-inversion and that's usually a bad idea. I'm willing to make an exception in this case based upon Chief White's recommendation."

White spoke, "Wilkes, I'd advise you consider this – You'd be experiencing another entire culture, you'd be leading men, you'd have an entire SHIP that was your responsibility instead of just bits of one. And you'd see things you'd never see aboard the _Hood_. And we'd still be your home ship – you'd return to us when you're done."

"How long is this posting for, sirs?"

White spoke first, "A year."

Wilkes thought about it. Serving aboard the _Hood_ was easy, comfortable, and frankly, boring. The crew were nice, the work easy and it just wasn't that different than the Academy. Or home. The decision was easy: "I'd love to take a swing at it, sirs."

Big smiles all around. Captain Nolin said, "Well done, Wilkes! I think I can promise you an interesting year. If you survive it, of course."


	4. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER 2**_

"_It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us." _ _- Arthur Schopenhauer__ – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

DECEMBER 2267

Imperial Marine Crewman Sooth was walking with her friend, Ensign Eletha. As they made their way down the corridor of the Dosadi assault carrier _Delos_, she was trying to rub the kink out of her right shoulder, swinging her right arm while her left hand rubbed the muscles.

Eletha smiled and asked, "Tough drill?"

"You kidding? When aren't they?" Sooth laughed, "I think I need to adjust my armor. Whenever my rifle kicks it digs a..." and she stopped dead in her tracks as another Crew Leader walked towards them, escorting a human in Starfleet red and black. The human looked over at her and their eyes met, Sooth's going wide.

Eletha had walked a pace or two past when she realized that Sooth had stopped. "Sooth?" she turned and looked back at her friend.

"Uh, what?" she shook her head and hurried to catch up with Eletha.

"Oh. I didn't even think about it – the human, right?"

"Yes. I haven't seen one in quite a while, of course. I just didn't expect to is all." Her eyes had a far away look.

"I heard he's here for the Officer Exchange Program with the Federation, I didn't even think about it, Sooth. Sorry."

She smiled, "It's OK. I'll get used to it again. He'll be aboard for a year, right?"

They continued walking towards the East Living Pod and Eletha answered, "Yup. It should be interesting. I've never met a human before. I heard he's going to be working on the flight deck, so maybe T'Laren will introduce us."

"Assuming you can ever pry your mate out of his fighter, anyway." Sooth laughed.

"And it's easier to pry you out of your armor and away from those endless drills?"

"SO? It's fun!" her eyes sparkled, "It's got to be a lot more fun than being stuck in the nursery with all those kits hanging all over you."

Eletha thought about her response for a pace or two, "You'll feel differently when you have kits."

"I'm NEVER having kits, and you know it."

"Well not if you never let anyone get close to you. Sooth, not everyone leaves, or dies right away, and you don't have to keep running and fighting everyone and everything."

"I don't fight everyone. I'm just ready in case I have to. And I let YOU get close."

Eletha sniffed and flicked her ears at her friend, "I didn't really give you any choice in the matter, now did I?" She glanced at the young woman, "And if you don't fight everyone who tries to get close, what happened with Kam the other day? One minute you two are finally sharing a cozy sleeping spot and the next he's flying through the air."

Sooth laid her ears back, "He got...pushy."

"Oh." Eletha, seeing the signs decided to back off, "Well, if you'd like some non-pushy company tonight, T'Laren, the kits, and I are gonna all be in the Pod tonight, you're more than welcome to curl up with us any time." As they walked through the doors into the East Living Pod, they took a moment to adjust to the change in environment.

The Dosadi arrange their ships quite differently than other space-faring species. Although heavily influenced by the traditions of their Federation patrons, they put their own spin on it. As a culture, they preferred things in their natural state so directions aboard ship were based upon a compass – The forward part of the ship was North, the right side, East, and so on. As a social species and lacking most privacy taboos they didn't have individual quarters. Instead, there were several large living pods that served as barracks, recreation hall, mess hall, and meeting room. Stuffed with greenery and liberally supplied with soft places to sleep, drape, climb, or sit they were the most comfortable place aboard the ships. Lighting overhead was designed to mimic the Dosadi sky, cycling from dawn to dusk and back again complete with familiar stars overhead. It was a comforting touch of home in the endless night of space.

Aboard the _Delos_ at this moment, it was early evening and the lighting reflected that. Several groups of friends could be seen with their evening meal, fresh from the replicators and there were a few people already catching a nap. Eletha could see Kam sitting with some of the other crewmen from the Astrogation section, softly playing a flute while one of his friends tapped along on a small drum. So did Sooth.

Eletha rolled her eyes, "From your expression, I'm guessing we should go over that way instead..." and lead the way to the far side of the large space. "You haven't even talked to him since you threw him half-way across the Pod. You ever going to again?"

Her tail lashing and her eyes narrowed, Sooth said, "No. I trusted him and he...He didn't deserve it. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

Eletha was worried for her friend's happiness. Sooth was quite young – barely 17 and fresh out of her initial year of training for the Imperial Marines. In the few weeks since she had been assigned to the _Delos_, she had made no real close friends and the only males who had attempted to strike up a friendship had ended up much like Kam. She had a reputation as unapproachable, and as a slightly strange loner. The Dosadi have a strong streak of individualism, but they are a very co-operative culture as well, and Sooth wasn't really fitting in outside of her combat team. But perhaps now wasn't the time to push, she thought. So, as they ate their evening meal, she kept the conversation to safer topics.

As they were finishing up their chow, a tall (for a Dosadi) male wearing a Warrior Pendant around his neck plopped down between them and with a cheery smile said "Hiya!"

Startled, Sooth started to swing at him, catching herself before the blow landed. He didn't even flinch, continuing to smile. Eletha laughed, "Hello, Corin. You're lucky she didn't knock you on your tail!"

"It's not me she'd have to worry about then," he grinned as another female gracefully sat down next to him, curling her tail around his waist, "It'd be Nollos avenging me!"

"Or not." she snorted. "You did that deliberately and would deserve whatever you got."

"Ah! My own mate abandoning me! What a cruel, hard world..." he fell over backward.

Nollos ignored him. "My mate, the drama-queen."

Shaking her head, Eletha asked, "Corin, you're a Team Leader on Lieutenant Commander Delac's fighter, right? Do you know anything about that human that we saw earlier?"

"I...well, here he is now, in fact." he interrupted himself as the door cycled open again. Standing up he called out to the obviously disoriented young man, "Ensign Wilkes! Over here!"

Clearly relieved to see someone he at least slightly recognized, Wilkes made his way over to the little group. "Hello, Team Leader."

"We're off duty, Wilkes – I'm just Corin. This is my mate and my reason for being, Nollos. She's a _Hornet_ Team Leader. This lady is Ensign Eletha, she's a disruptor targeting officer when she's not nursing – her mate is T'Laren, he's a _Thunderbolt_ pilot, he might be here later – and this is Sooth, she's a Marine.

"Everyone, this is Ensign Wilkes, he'll be one of my Crew Leaders for the next year."

"Hello everyone. I'll apologize in advance if I get names and faces mixed up. I'm struggling to tell you all apart. You still all look alike to me, mostly." He glanced at Sooth, "You, I think I recognize though...Sooth? Didn't I pass you in the corridor earlier?"

"Um, yes. You have a good memory, I think." she answered shyly.

"Hey, there's hope for me yet, then!" Wilkes said with a smile, thanking God above for whoever invented the Universal Translator implant.

Corin laughed and said "Have a seat, Wilkes. I'll grab some chow – you prefer human foods or are you feeling adventurous?"

"I'm _here_ aren't I?" he smiled at him as he sat down cross-legged in an open spot in the circle of people.

As the introductions and basic questions continued, Eletha noticed that Sooth had pretty much clammed up. "So, Wilkes, if we all look alike to you, how did you recognize Sooth?"

Sooth's ears twitched backwards, and Wilkes said, "I think her eyes look different than anyone else and she's got those two black stripes coming up off them that are very beau...um..distinctive."

Eletha noticed that Sooth was trying very hard to disappear. "Well, to us, scent plays a big part in it too – how do you tell each other apart?"

"Our noses aren't that good. For us it's all about how different everyone looks. Shape of the nose or ears, the way they smile, height and weight, hair color, eye color, that sort of thing. So far, most of the Dosadi I've met have golden colored eyes, but hers are blue."

Nollos said, "That's not that common for us. Eletha's kits all have blue eyes right now, but that doesn't usually last more than a couple of years. There's some people with green eyes too. More common than blue, but still not really common."

By the time the lights had dimmed past dusk, Eletha's mate and their four kits had arrived and Wilkes was thoroughly enjoying himself. The four little ones had been initially terrified of him but within a few minutes decided that he was more interesting than frightening. Within half an hour, they were climbing him like a tree. One seemed to take particular delight in sitting on his head.

T'Laren reached the little ball of fur down again, "Ceena, stop doing that." he chided the little girl.

"It's OK. I don't mind." Wilkes said, good naturedly. "Fortunately, their claws don't go in too far. But I'm starting to see a real disadvantage to not having fur..."

Nollos laughed, "I didn't want to say anything, but you look to us like a big bald monkey. I've studied up on Earth animals – I want to go there to study your military history. There's an academy in Russia I really want to go to."

Wilkes scratched his own armpits and said, "Ook! Ook! Ook!" to everyone's amusement. The children immediately picked up on the noise and began aping him.

Eletha noticed that Sooth was watching the young man rather carefully – if surreptitiously. "Tell us a story from your world, Wilkes. We Dosadi LOVE stories, so I'm going to put you on the spot."

Wilkes said, "Okay. Fortunately for you I've studied a little bit of a lot, and folk stories is something I enjoy." He thought a moment while everyone settled in, even the little ones, and he began, "This is a story from Ireland, a small country near where I was born and it's called Connla and the Fairy Maiden." He hoped the Translator had all the concepts for this story. "Now, this tale happened a very long time ago when there was still magic in the world and all manner of wizards and magical folk. Connla of the Fiery Hair was the son of the king: Conn of the Hundred Fights. One day, as he stood with his father on the heights of Usna, he saw a beautiful maiden in strange garb coming towards him.

'Where do you come from, maiden?' said Connla.

'I come from the Plains of the Ever Living," she said, her voice as musical as tiny bells on the wind, 'there where there is neither death nor pain. There we keep holiday, always and need no help from anyone in our joy. And in all our pleasures we have no strife. And because we make our homes in the round green hills, men call us the Hill Folk.'

The king and all with him wondered to hear a voice when they could see no one, for save Connla alone, none saw the Fairy Maiden.

'To whom do you speak, my son?' said Conn, the King.

Then the maiden answered, 'Connla speaks to a young, fair maid, whom neither death nor old age awaits. I love Connla, and now I call him away to the Plain of Pleasure, Moy Mell, where Boadag is king for aye, there has been no complaint nor sorrow in that land since he ascended the throne. Oh, come with me, Connla of the Fiery Hair, ruddy as the dawn with thy tawny skin. A fairy crown awaits thee to grace they comely face and royal form. Come, and never shall they comeliness fade, nor thy youth, till the end of days.'

Now the king was much afraid, he did not wish to lose his son. 'You would take my son from me? You are a fell voice and I shall summon my Druid to banish you from my lands!'

The maiden spoke again, 'Oh mighty king, why do you keep your son from such an adventure and from everlasting joy and life? Is it I who am evil, who offer only love and happiness while you wish to keep your son for your own selfish desires until he too grows old and dies?' And she slowly became visible to all.

The king was struck by the wisdom of the fairy maid. He spoke to his son, 'Oh Connla, what is in your heart and mind?'

'Father, all men know that I love my own folk above all things, most especially you. But yet, a longing seizes me for the maiden.'

When the maiden heard this she answered, 'The ocean is not so strong as the waves of my love for you, Connla. Come with me in my curragh, the gleaming straight-gliding crystal canoe. Soon we can reach Boadag's realm. I see the bright sun sink, yet as far as it is, we can reach it before dark. There is too, another land worthy of thy journey, joyous to all that seek it. Only wives and maidens dwell there. If you wish it, we can see it and live there alone together in joy.'

The king looked to his son, the joy of his days and said, 'My son, I free you to find your own path and your own destiny, though you shall always have a home here.'

Connla of the Fiery Hair rushed away from his father and taking the maiden's hand, they sprang into the curragh, and the king, his court, and all saw it glide away over the bright sea into the setting sun. Away and away till the eye could see it no longer, and Connla and the Fairy Maiden went their way on the sea and were no more seen, nor did any know where they came."

As he finished, Wilkes though to himself, "Now why did I pick THAT story?"

"Nice story, Wilkes! Well done!" Corin cheered him.

Sooth said flatly, "So he left."

Puzzled, Wilkes asked, "Beg pardon?"

"He left. He left his family to go with her."

"Well, his father realized that all our children grow up and need to find their own way in the world, and he said he understood. He set him free, he didn't just leave."

Sooth looked at him. "Maybe."

Heading this particular line off, Eletha jumped in, "We should tell YOU a story now."

Still a little puzzled, Wilkes said, "Yeah, um, say, how did my people even encounter yours anyway? First contact missions always have a story attached to them."

Nollos said, "Oh I love this story, I'll tell it."


	5. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER 3**_

_History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity._

_- CICERO, Pro Publio Sestio – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

DECEMBER 2267

Looking around the assembled group of friends and reading the happy anticipation in their expressions, Nollos settled in to a more comfortable position before starting her tale.

"We Dosadi have taken much from the experiences of your Federation since we first encountered you over a century ago." she began, looking at Wilkes as she spoke.

"We are avid historians with a rich history of our own, but you humans have fascinated us since that long ago first-contact. Your history is one of barbarism, dishonor, cruelty and hate arising again and again. And each time, those evils were struck down by civilization, honor, kindness and love."

The group all were nodding in agreement as she continued the tale, her voice starting to take on an almost professorial tone.

"Your Federation presents itself as a pacifist organization, but you fight like demons out of hell at the drop of a hat and possess the most frightful weapons in the known galaxy. Your species always struggle to remain true to those principles, and are always seeking to better yourselves. That paradox is one of the things that attract the Dosadi to you so much. It is also the biggest reason you will often see Dosadi studying the writings and deeds of your great generals like Leonidas, Sun Tzu, Giap, Mao, Patton, Washington, Nelson, Kirk - and great philosophers like Ghandi, Lincoln, Buddha and more."

Taking a small breath, Nollos once again addressed Wilkes directly

"Now Wilkes I understand you might not know much about us, so I will add more of our background than usual so there are no misunderstandings. I'm sure everyone will agree to that."

Everyone was enjoying listening to her and simply waved her on, nibbling on snacks or enjoying some of the fiery Dosadi whiskey.

"All right. Dosad is a heavily forested planet orbiting an F-class yellow-white star in the constellation Cygnus, as your people see the stars. As we evolved, our species focused more on predation than agriculture, staying nomadic long after other species had settled in city-states. We've never been a very populous people - Our reproduction rate is low and our mortality high as you shall see. Even once we began to cooperate on a scale larger than small tribal bands, our cities stayed small and were much more integrated into the forest than any on Earth. Even our heavy industry is green-belted." Indicating the growing plants throughout the Living Pod she said, "As you can tell, we prefer to be among living things.

"Our culture has become one that reveres valor in battle with a drive to constantly test ourselves and to better ourselves. Our religion and philosophy focus more on how you live your life and who you are, rather than the things you have. You humans have always been focused on the things one can aquire - another puzzle to us!" and she smiled. Now, Death to us is the end to all our stories. How you meet your fate is a critical part of your life.

"But, our focus on philosophy rather than things meant that we were slow to develop advanced technology compared to most of the major powers. Believe it or not, Wilkes, our species is almost a hundred thousand years older than yours - but we didn't develop a warp drive until about a hundred years after you did. So now, I've got you caught up a bit and I can move on to the day the Federation first contacted us."

Nollos' tone and manner changed as she told her tale in grand style, right down to the accents involved:

As it happened, one of the first Federation cruisers, the _USS Defiant_ was passing through the sector about the time of that initial warp flight and made first contact. Naturally, her captain was immediately challenged to single combat. Fortunately for future Federation-Dosadi relations, Captain Heather Sterling was a student of military history and an expert in several different martial arts including grappling styles such as Hakko Ryu JuJutsu and striking styles such as Muay Thai . Lacking real teeth and claws, standing a good six inches shorter than her opponent and massing some twenty kilos less, the Dosadi were expecting a quick victory. Still, it was important to see HOW these hairless apes fought – Were they honorable? Or cowards? Could they fight at all? Would they use their superior weapons to take vengeance after their Captain was slain? Much can be learned in the challenge ring.

Recognizing a warrior culture immediately, she knew the significance of this fight. "No," she thought, "this ceremony." Her security chief, Lt. Desoto-Cortez, nearly half a meter taller, twice her weight and muscled like a mountain gorilla, had begged to be allowed to represent the _Defiant_, but she refused. First Contact missions were the most challenging and delicate of any in Starfleet and had effects that echoed through centuries. This fight was hers, and hers alone. Her opponent, five and a half feet of sleek fur-covered muscle, teeth and claws snarled at her as he stripped his clothes off. "When in Rome..." she decided and followed suit, answering his snarl with a smile.

"Lewtenant, if yon critter shuld happen ta kill me, take it wi' good graces. Tis' vital important tha' we show nothin' but honor an' style." she explained as she pulled her red hair back into a pony tail.

"I understand, Captain, but I don't have to like it." the massive Spaniard grumbled.

A howl rose over the crowd as several of the bagpipe-like instruments the Dosadi called 'trusk' began to play a driving beat with flute and drums providing the counterpoint. 'Och,' she said to her Security Chief, "Dinna fret naow. I feel raht at home, lad." And with a laugh, she stepped naked into the ring. Several of the big cats surrounding the arena began to take up a song, a song which grew louder as more joined in and the fight went on.

Hith'an circled slowly towards Sterling's left, suspicious that the Federation Captain wasn't reacting at all. A quick feint likewise brought no more than that smile and a wink. Were they capable of fighting at all? He lunged in fast and low, going for a crippling slash at her legs only to be met with a stunning elbow across the side of his skull. Rolling away from her rising knee, he slid face first across the ring, scrambling away from her with new-found caution.

Again, she stood motionless. He regained his feet and faced her again. He laughed, a mix of a purr and a meow and dipped his head in respect, his ears erect. Clearly this was no fool. He closed in carefully, in a light-footed combat stance, his tail providing exceptional balance.

"Ah, " Captain Sterling thought, "This one won't be suckered again. Time to play for keeps." And so began an epic battle between two expert combatants. Hith'an was one of the most feared fighters on Dosad and had never lost a challenge in his thirty years. Captain Sterling, though nearly a decade older had won many full contact tournaments against fighters from across the galaxy. At this level, fights are either over very quickly or they drag on endlessly until one person either makes a mistake, or injuries or bad luck simply overwhelm them.

Sterling's fight was one of the latter. After almost half an hour of combat, the two elected to take a rest break for water and to treat some of the more obvious injuries. The Dosadi mid-day sun and high humidity were brutal – Hith'an was panting for all he was worth and Captain Sterling was dripping sweat and blood. Desoto-Cortez fussed as he tried to staunch some of the deeper gouges with a med-kit. Two of her fingers were broken and she was showing a stunning selection of bruises across her chest, belly and legs. Sterling chuckled, "Ha, the lad's in nae better shape! But bugger, he knas wa' he's abou'."

Indeed, on his side of the ring, Hith'an's tail was hanging limply from a broken vertebra, one ear had been torn off almost entirely and one side of his skull was fractured, the swelling beginning to distort his vision on that side. Several teeth were missing and he was spitting blood.

Another 30 minutes and another break. And another. And another. The gathered Dosadi were nearly ecstatic – no challenge had EVER gone on so long or at such a level of expertise! Both fighters had passed on strikes at their opponent after a slip and fall – both had conducted themselves with the utmost courage and honor. The warrior cats were astounded that someone so small, so weak, and so lacking in natural weapons as Captain Sterling, could face their greatest champion at all, much less for such an epic battle! Stories of this match would be told for centuries.

Finally, an exhausted, overheated Hith'an made a mistake. His attempt at a grapple that would have held on a fur-covered Dosadi instead slipped neatly off the blood and sweat-slick Sterling, and she quickly took advantage, grabbing two fistfuls of forearm-fur and locking his arm into a painful bar while wrapping her legs around his throat and neck. As his other hand came up and began raking deep, bloody gouges in her legs, she leaned backwards with everything she had left, hearing the bones in his arm splinter and seconds later, he passed out from the choke.

Releasing him, she stood weakly and said, "Baws, I shouldna don' tha'." and collapsed across him.

A short while later, she regained consciousness in a Dosadi medical bay, next to Hith'an and a crowd of onlookers. Unlike the match, it was nearly silent – she thought she heard purring. Lt. Desoto-Cortez was getting more nervous by the minute; The landing party was badly outnumbered and in close-quarters and he had no way of judging the aliens' mood. The Emperor had flatly refused his request to beam back to the _Defiant_ to provide medical care for the Captain.

Trying to focus her swollen eyes she asked, "Och, Lewtenant, wa' happened?" before he could answer, Emperor H'Rath asked, "Captain Sterling. Why didn't you kill Hith'an? The victory was yours. The battle hard-won."

Even groggy, exhausted, and in pain, Heather Sterling was aware of the stakes. "Nae. The lad fought better than any I've met on a dozen different worlds. With courage, honor an' skill ta spare. Were I ta kill 'im, I'd lose the chance to face 'im again." The howls were deafening and it took a moment for Desoto-Cortez to realize that the Dosadi weren't about to attack.

_****_Returning to her normal manner, Nollos continued, "From that moment on, the Dosadi would be steadfast allies of the Federation. The names 'Heather' and 'Sterling' suddenly became popular names for Dosadi kittens. Over the years since that first contact, Dosadi units served with Starfleet ground forces, aboard their ships, and often as mercenaries or proxies when the Federation needed force applied, but with political deniability. The Federation went to great lengths to maintain their image as the shining knights of the galaxy, but sometimes dirty work needed to be done.

She smiled, "I bet you didn't know that, did you, Wilkes? I've got friends who've been to Earth. We're portrayed as these crazy vicious primitives that the Federation tries to keep on a leash, but a lot of the fights we get into are at Federation urging. Most of our technology is Federation supplied or derived from Federation designs, but with a unique Dosadi flavor. For instance, we loved the different colors that you use in your uniforms to indicate which branch you're in. That's why our fighter wings are named after colors and the crew wear coveralls in colors to match.

"But we have a lot of respect for the Federation - especially you humans. The Vulcans, well, we have a hard time trusting them. Honor and Logic don't seem to get along all that well sometimes. It's one reason we tend to name our weapons systems after ancient and legendary Earth weapons or warriors. Well, and there's always the flattery aspect of it too. We're a small power and we rely heavily on the Federation for technological support.

"And all of this has come about because one Federation Captain over a hundred years ago understood what Honor was, and showed us that Humans are worth trusting and knowing."

As she finished her tale, she was passed a glass of whiskey and Wilkes said, "Wow. I didn't know much at all of that story."


	6. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER 4**_

"_If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater."_

_- Unknown_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

JANUARY 2268

The next few weeks were busy ones for the crew of the _Delos_ as they finished her shake-down cruise. Even more so for Wilkes as he struggled to learn a new culture and new ways of doing things, new systems, and new people. He was constantly challenged to learn more, faster, and to expand what he thought he knew. He realized he had never been happier.

He had become friends with the other Crew Leader on his team, a tough, wiry little male named M'Ralin, as well as with Corin and Nollos. And he kept finding himself looking for reasons to spend time talking to the young Marine, Sooth. He found that the nights where she was sleeping in the same group with him that he tended to stay up much too late talking with her. As a dilettante, he found her single-minded focus on her Marine training almost hypnotically different. As it turned out, they both enjoyed poetry, loved looking at stars and being outdoors, especially on the water. He remembered that conversation.

"Wait. You're a cat and you _like_ water?" he teased.

"I think that was a joke, but it didn't translate very well. What's a cat?"

"Oh, Damn, I'm sorry, Sooth, I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I was kidding." he started to reach his hand out to touch her on the shoulder but she flinched away so he stopped and rather lamely made out that he was smoothing his hair. "A cat's a small house pet on Earth that looks very much like a miniature Dosadi and they're famous because they HATE being wet."

She thought about that for a second. He really did look upset that he had said the wrong thing. "Oh." she said, "Nollos is the one who knows all the Earth animals. I'll have to get her to show me one some time." She spent a few moments looking at him, almost involuntarily being drawn to his eyes.

"Sooth?" he asked quietly.

Shaking her head a little she answered, "What?"

"Who hurt you so bad?"

She bristled, "What makes you think someone hurt me?"

"I'm sorry if I'm being nosy. I don't want to be rude, and I don't want to say anything stupid, especially nothing that would make you not want to be my friend. It's just...You have like this big wall up that says 'don't come close to me!' and the only people I've ever met with walls like that have been hurt."

She looked away.

He waited a few moments, "I don't want to hurt you either, Sooth. I like talking with you too much." and he smiled at her, getting a small smile in return. "Can I ask you something really silly?"

"What?"

He blushed, "Can I please touch your shoulder? You guys all look so soft, I've been dying to feel someone's fur but I think I'd look like a total ass if I asked. You're about the only person I trust enough not to think I was an idiot, or laugh at me, or beat me to a pulp."

Her ears swiveled back and the wall came crashing down. He hurriedly spoke again,

"Never mind – really. I'm sorry, Sooth. I shouldn't have asked."

He almost held his breath to see if she would just get up and leave. Instead she said, "Okay."

"Are you sure? I feel pretty stupid asking, like a tourist or something."

"No, it's OK."

Slowly he reached his hand out, noticing that she tensed up, and he gently touched her shoulder, feeling the silky fur there. He let his fingers stroke along her shoulder briefly and then pulled his hand back. "Wow. You are really soft. That's amazing. Thank you, Sooth."

"It's just fur."

"I meant for trusting me enough to let me do that."

She looked at him again. He met her eyes with his, watching her thoughts play through them. He wondered what had happened to her that she was so jumpy about a simple touch, and the answer he got wasn't a good one. He decided to steer the conversation to a safer topic.

"Enough of me being a fool." and he smiled, getting one back. "Can I ask why you decided to join the Imperial Marines? You can..." bam, the wall was back. He quickly shifted gears, "Or you can ask ME anything you want, I've probably been nosy enough for one night."

That conversation hadn't seemed to hurt their growing friendship, much to his relief. He would occasionally try to pry more details out of her about her life, but she was always hesitant to open up. She was like a puzzle and she absolutely fascinated him.

One day, as he was heading towards a locker room to shower up after a long shift running drills in the hangar deck, he realized that he had been spending more time with Sooth than with pretty much anyone else aboard. Starting to strip off his forest green coveralls, he saw three Dosadi come in and head over to where he was changing.

"Hey there, Wilkes." one of them said.

"Um. I'm sorry, I don't know your names yet? I'm still awful at that."

"I'm Inveth. I'm Sooth's Crew Leader."

"Oh hi! I'm glad to meet...Um." they didn't look all that friendly. "I think I've seen this scene in a dozen different entertainments." Wilkes finished.

"Scene? What are you talking about?" Inveth was genuinely confused.

"Let me guess, you three are here to kick my ass for daring to get friendly with Sooth, right?"

"What the hell? No!" Inveth laughed, "Dosadi don't work that way. If we want to fight you, we'll challenge you straight up. We just want to know what you're after."

"After?" Wilkes asked.

"Look, Sooth's had it tough. She doesn't need to get hurt any more, OK?"

"What happened to her?"

"That's not our story to tell. Ask her." Inveth made a sour face, "You're only here for a year, right?"

"Yes." Wilkes agreed.

"Is this just like a game then? Have fun for a year, then leave?"

"I really don't know, Inveth. I got offered the chance and I took it. I've really liked everyone I've met so far. Sooth is just..." he paused and thought, smiling as he pictured her face, "Special. There's something about her that's different than anyone I've ever met. I thought it was just that she was so totally focused on being the best Marine in history, but I've had friends with that kind of focus before. So I don't really know.

"But if you're asking if I'm just out looking for a score and a heart to break, that's not it at all."

Inveth was struggling with the translation, "A score?"

"Sorry, slang term, it means to have sex with someone." He grinned as he saw all three pairs of ears swivel backwards. "Guys, seriously, I like Sooth a lot. I'm not going to do anything to hurt her." He was trying not to smile at the image of a fair maiden's three big brothers coming after the charming rake.

"We don't put up with people hurting our friends, Wilkes. You humans have a reputation that you frequently do hurt your friends. This is not going to be like that, right?"

"No, it's not. I'm not like that, Inveth."

"I'll take your word on it then, Wilkes."

Wilkes grinned, "Actually, I like that she's got friends who look out for her. I get the impression she doesn't really let anyone get close at all."

"She doesn't, but we're her team. That's different. She's had a couple of bad experiences with some other friends, and we just don't want to see that happen again. Thanks for understanding, Wilkes. Maybe I've misjudged your species. I guess we'll see."

All three of them turned and stalked out the door. Maybe stalked was too strong a term, he thought. These were Marines after all, they pretty much stalked everywhere no matter what species they were. As he showered, his thoughts kept turning back to Sooth. Maybe it was just the mystery about her past that attracted him. Or that she was so easy to talk to. Well, she was pretty too.

Checking himself, he began to question his sanity. She looked like a cat. ANGIE was pretty. Angie had a fantastic set of curves while Sooth barely had hips. And Sooth had those insanely beautiful eyes, and they were just framed perfectly in her face. Even her nose was...What the hell. He stuck his head under the water. The more he tried to think of Angie, the more images of Sooth intruded. And she really did have a nice tail end. The tail only added to her wiggle when she walked GAAA! Turning the water to full cold he decided he had some serious mental issues. He was getting turned on thinking about a large, bi-pedal cat.

The next day, Sooth invited him to go and visit the _Delos' _nursery to see Eletha and her kits. Having children wasn't something he'd ever really thought about as part of his life and he'd never really spent any time around anyone's kids. But since he came aboard, there always seemed to be kids running about and he found he actually enjoyed the little buggers.

Unlike other races, the Dosadi lived, fought, and died as families. Kits were given duties aboard commensurate with their age and abilities. Whether it was cleaning decks, scrubbing air passages, maintaining the many plants aboard, or helping keep on-duty crews hydrated and fed, there was always something that needed doing and youngsters were perfect for these unskilled tasks. There were those who said that was one reason the Dosadi fought so ferociously – in every battle, they were defending everything they loved. The loss of a ship was a tragedy to a relatively small species, although they all understood the need to sacrifice few for many when the time came. There was great honor in such a sacrifice – but only if it paid off. Only fools threw lives away without a commensurate gain.

A nursery aboard a warship was something that Wilkes wanted to see. Being able to spend more time with Sooth may have played a part in it as well and he enjoyed sharing some old jokes with her as they walked. Her laugh was yet another thing that he found attractive. So by the time they arrived, she had actually rubbed shoulders with him and seemed more accepting of the occasional touch, much to his delight.

Walking into the big, greenery filled place Wilkes was surprised. It wasn't what his mental image of a 'nursery' was. There were about a dozen obviously female Dosadi and nearly fifty kits of various ages running rampant, chasing each other, climbing, napping, pouncing...Sooth bumped into him as he stopped in the doorway. "Wilkes!" Much to his further surprise, she took hold of his arm and steered him into the nursery.

Within seconds, Eletha's four kits had spotted him and swooped in to 'attack'. Allowing himself to be bowled over, he put up a fierce resistance while Sooth began to talk to Eletha.

Smiling at her kits, Eletha said, "I think he spends more time with the kits than any male who's not a father."

Sooth just watched him wrestle with the little ones, listening to the savage growls coming from four little throats. "He's definitely different."

"I like that you're spending time with him. It's really helping him learn how to be part of our crew and to learn our culture." Smiling at her friend she continued, "And I think maybe it's helping you to open up a little too."

Flicking her tail, Sooth ignored her last comment. "I heard he's a really good leader. His crew respects him and he knows a _lot_ about the _Tomcats_. Corin said that he doesn't even care that he's actually a higher rank than his Team Leader. He just gets the job done."

"Really? So it looks like he has honor as well."

Twitching one ear back, Sooth said quietly, "He's still leaving in less than a year."

"So? Does distance really matter to a friendship?"

Sooth was thinking about that when they heard Wilkes say "Whoa, hang on a second." and she watched him stand up and walk quickly over to where an older kit had just cuffed a smaller one. The kit's mother was swooping in like a hawk.

Wilkes picked the bigger kit up and just held him aloft. "What'd you do that for?"

Eletha signaled the kit's mom to wait, getting a glare in return. "Cuz he's puny and he's stupid."

"Really? You think you are going to impress people by beating up people _smaller_ than you?"

The kit thought about that, "No. But he still deserves it."

"And you know this, why?"

"Cuz he's stupid."

"I'd bet if you and I compared what we know you'd come out looking pretty stupid. Should I beat you up?"

"No, but that's different."

"No, kit, it's not. Everyone's different. Just because right now you can do something, because you can make fun of someone who's in a different place than you doesn't mean you _should." _He put the kit down and said, "I'm going to tell you a story from my planet about how unwise it is to do that". At the promise of a story, quite a few kits started coming closer, and once Wilkes had released her kit, his mother relaxed some. Eletha noticed Sooth was watching Wilkes with a different expression than she'd ever seen on her friend's face.

"A long time ago, in the land of Japan, there lived a fierce warrior people. Their nation was ruled by the Emperor, who was the son of a god. He gave his instructions to the Shogun, who appointed judges to rule on the law and make sure that everyone followed the rules. The most famous of these judges was Judge Ooka, and he lived in the city of Yedo.

"One day, Ooka was walking through a district of shops and he noticed a little boy standing outside a sculptor's shop, gazing longingly up at three big terra cotta dogs. Noticing that the boy's kimono was patched and worn, it was obvious that he was much too poor to be able to afford anything at the shop and the shopkeeper was ignoring him.

"Now Ooka was a very kindly man and had a grandson not much older than the little boy, so he asked him, 'What is it you are looking at there, boy?'"

"The little boy answered, "My grandfather is the best grandfather in the world, and he loves dogs. But we are too poor to afford a dog. But a stone dog like this wouldn't eat anything, so that's a dog he could have."

"Ooka smiled and said, "Well, I like to think that I'm a pretty good grandfather, but that's a wonderful gift. Do you think you can afford it?" and catching the shopkeeper's eye, he made a small sign, intending that he would make up any difference in price out of his own pocket.

The little boy said, "I have a single ryo" - that's a small coin at the time - "I hope that is enough.""

"Ooka said, "I imagine that it might be!" and winked at the shopkeeper.

"But the shopkeeper was a bitter little man, and thinking that Ooka was like himself, he thought only to belittle the boy. Smiling a cruel smile he said, "Certainly! Why, that is enough for all THREE dogs!"

"The boy was shocked at his good fortune and his smile of pride was like a beacon.

"The shopkeeper continued, "Of course, you can only have them if you can carry one home all by yourself." and he laughed since it was clearly impossible for such a small boy to carry such a heavy sculpture home. Crushed by the shopkeeper's mocking his hopes, the little boy turned away.

"Judge Ooka was furious. He quickly called out to the lad, "Boy! Stop! Come back here, and bring with you that small stone in the road." Puzzled, the boy did so. "Now take that stone and smash one of the dogs, then you can easily carry it home piece by piece."

"Wait! Wait!" the shopkeeper cried, "You are a judge! You cannot allow this boy to destroy my property!"

"YOUR property? You struck a bargain. The dogs are HIS, all he must do is carry one home. You didn't specify how he had to carry it home."

"But I meant..."

"What you meant is of no matter. The law is quite clear. The boy may do with his property as he wishes."

"But my lord! This will bankrupt me!"

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you cruelly decided to torment someone smaller and less fortunate than yourself. But perhaps the boy is made of better stuff than you. I imagine he would be quite willing to give you back two of the dogs if you would provide a porter to carry but one of them home to his grandfather."

Grudgingly, the shopkeeper agreed, and Ooka left him with this advice, "Take the boy's little coin. Don't put it in your strong box. Instead, put it on your wall where it can remind you whenever you are tempted to take joy from hurting others."

"So you see, kit, you never really know where other people are in their lives, or where you will be. You gain honor from doing the right thing, from helping those weaker and less fortunate than yourself, not from hurting or from doing things just because you can."

The bigger kit digested this for a moment and finally said, "Maybe. I'll think about it."

Deciding that was the best he could hope for from so young a person, Wilkes said, "That's all anyone can ask of anyone, kit." And he stood up. Turning, he realized that he had quite a bit more audience than he thought he had. "Um. Sorry. Might not have been my place."

Sooth was just watching him, so Eletha said, "No, that's OK. On Dosad, children are raised by everyone – That's his mother there, she was just making sure that you weren't going to hurt her kit. She might say something else to him as well, but she's not going to interrupt your say."

Later, as they were getting ready to leave, Sooth looked at her friend and then at Wilkes, "Um, Wilkes?"

"Huh? What's up, Sooth?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to sleep with me tonight."

Wilkes' jaw dropped. "I...wait..I don't think the translator did that right. Sooth, I'm sorry if I'm being an idiot, I'm still not very good with your language. In my language, that phrase means something really different than what I think you meant and if you meant what I think you meant oh Christ, I've confused myself. " Both Eletha and Sooth were staring at him. "I got it, I think. Sorry – You mean share the same sleeping place, right?"

"Of course. What did you think I meant?"

Blushing, Wilkes said, "The translator took that phrase as a slang term for something else."

Both women's eyes went wide and Eletha said, "Oh my."

Wilkes said, "Like I said, I was being stupid. I do that a lot." and he smiled, "Sooth, I would absolutely love to, if you really trust me enough."

"Well now I'm not sure I do!" Sooth said.

Eletha laughed, "Sooth, don't be silly. It's not his fault the Universal Translator messed up."

"Yeah, I guess not." She smiled shyly at Wilkes, "Sorry if I'm a little jumpy."

"It's OK, Sooth. I don't mind, as long as you keep being my friend."

A few hours later, back in the East Living Pod, Wilkes was almost as jumpy as she was. They had found a raised, round platform with a recessed soft area for sleeping in. He said, "Sooth, are you sure you're OK with this?"

"I think so. I really am sorry to be so...jumpy. I get nervous about people."

"You're not nervous about Corin and Nollos, or Eletha."

"That's different."

He watched her, enjoying the way she looked in the deepening light of the night. She was trying very hard not to look at him, sitting on the far side of the platform. He thought to himself, Why do I feel like I'm back in secondary school and my parents are out of the house? Instead of showing his unease, he smiled and lay down on his side, leaving plenty of space for her to be as close, or as far, as she chose. A minute or so later, she lay down about a foot away, facing him.

"It does feel different when there's no one else right next to you, doesn't it?" he asked.

"I think that's what makes me so jumpy."

"It's a lot more personal. More private. Closer." he watched her face.

"Yes."

He very slowly reached his hand towards the pendant around her throat. She stiffened and he cautiously touched it, asking "Sooth, I see a lot of Dosadi wearing these, but not all of them. What are they?"

"It's a Warrior's Pendant." She swallowed and he let his fingers brush the fur on her throat while he examined the pendant. "It...You have to go out into the wild and prove your courage to earn it. You try and find the biggest, fiercest creature you can and fight it. If you win, you bring it back as proof of your courage and you're judged by a council of elder Warriors. If they think you're worthy, you're given the right to wear it. It takes a lot to earn one."

He moved his hand back, and again moving very slowly, brought his finger up to the tattoo around her left eye. It could be hard to see through the fur sometimes. Gently tracing along the lines he asked, "And this?"

Trying to keep her voice steady she explained, "It's an Honor Tattoo. It's something you're awarded by others in your unit, or your town for doing something that earns you high honor. They get more complex as you earn more. It's always fun to ask people the stories behind theirs."

"Am I pushing you, Sooth? I mean, making you uncomfortable at all? I don't want to do that."

She swallowed again. "No, I think I'm OK. I'm just nervous. It's stupid."

"It's not stupid. Maybe some day you'll tell me why you're so nervous. We've slept next to each other a lot. The only difference here is that it's just us two."

"Like you said, it's more personal. It...To us, if you sleep with just one person it's a sign of a really close friendship. I haven't had a lot of those."

"How many?"

"Well. I almost had one friend that close. He turned out to be an ass."

"Oh." Gently, he reached his hand up and stroked the side of her face, "I'm honored that you trust me enough, Sooth." Feeling her tremble, he pulled his arm back. "Sooth, please tell me if I do anything stupid or anything that makes you not comfortable? I don't want to lose your friendship."

She nodded, still trembling.

"And some day, I'd love to hear about your Pendant, and your tattoo, and your family..." she stiffened again, "Oh." Another piece of her puzzle fell into place. "Some day, Sooth. When you're ready. I'm too nosy, I know, but you fascinate me and I want to learn as much about you as you'll share. Let's just sleep now though, OK?"

That got a brilliant smile and she actually reached up and touched HIS face, which pretty much made his day. She rolled onto her other side and a few moments later, he felt her scootch closer until they were spooned together. He moved his arm so that it was draped over her. Not moving, he waited for her trembling to subside, and then for her breathing to deepen as she finally drifted off to sleep.

"God help me, I'm falling in love with a cat." he thought to himself. He nuzzled the back of her neck, enjoying the faint cinnamon-scent of her and the silken softness of her fur. He fell asleep like that, vaguely thinking that he'd never felt so content. There was none of the urgent passion of sleeping next to Angie and frankly, he didn't miss it.


	7. Chapter 5

_**CHAPTER 5**_

"_Character is much easier kept than recovered" _

_- Thomas Paine, Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

JANUARY 2268

Wilkes awoke the next morning to find a pair of sapphire-blue eyes studying him intently. Smiling, he lay there enjoying the moment; He actually had the morning off and so did she. Finally she said, "You snore."

He laughed and started to reach for her and stopped himself before she could jerk back. "I think most humans do, don't Dosadi?"

"Not very often." she smiled. "We're built differently than you are, we don't spend as much time on our backs, I think."

Feeling very pleased with life in general, he decided to take a small risk. "Sooth, would you let me hug you?"

"What does that mean?"

"Um, humans use it a lot to show someone that you like them and are glad to see them. You just get close to each other and wrap your arms around each other and squeeze is all."

She thought about it for a moment. "Our shoulders are a little different than yours. I'm not sure it would work."

"Do you want to try? It's a nice way to show someone that they're special to you."

"Okay. Sure."

She was clearly nervous about the idea, so Wilkes went slowly. As he slid closer to her, she again stiffened up defensively. "It's OK Sooth, I'm going to put my arms around you, if you don't like that, tell me and I'll stop."

She nodded as he slid one arm under her shoulder and the other over her.

"Now you do the same thing." he said to the shaking young woman, wondering why someone like her could be so terrified of a simple hug. She finally managed to get her arms in the right places. Mostly.

"It's hard to wrap them like you have them. Our arms don't rotate in as much as yours do."

Smiling Wilkes said, "It doesn't matter. Now just squeeze a little." Pulling her into him, he held her close, feeling her tremble, feeling her heart pounding as she began to return the hug. She was shorter than he was and had ended up looking down slightly, her face against his throat and chest. "What do you think?" he asked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice to say anything. She thought to herself, "This is stupid. I shouldn't let him get close to me like this. He's just going to leave. I don't have time for this sort of thing anyway. There's more training to do. I shouldn't trust him. I shouldn't like this so much."

Wilkes slowly began to rub his hands along the soft fur on her shoulders and upper back, reveling in the touch of her body against his. His feelings for her were very different than any relationship he'd ever had before and that left him feeling a little off-balance. Noticing two pairs of ears and bright blue eyes peering over the edge of the platform at them he said, "Sooth, we've got an audience." and smiled.

She jerked her head back, barely missing his chin and saw Eletha's other two kits staring down at her. One of them, a little male named Kaileen said, "What are YOU doing? It looks weird!"

Disentangling themselves, they both sat up and Wilkes said, "It's called a hug, kit. Humans do that to show that someone's a really good friend and they're glad to see them." He thought that the very weak privacy taboos that the Dosadi culture had took some getting used to.

"Humans are so weird." he decided. "Mother! They're awake!" he called down to Eletha and as Wilkes looked around the Living Pod he noticed that there were an awful lot of people staring up at them and more than a few smiles.

Stretching and scratching at his hair he decided he really wanted a shower before breakfast. Sooth stretched luxuriously and yawned and he thought that waking up next to her was a definite treat. One he'd very much like to repeat. A lot. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he followed Sooth down the various steps and rungs to the deck. Just as he was about to yell good morning to Eletha and the rest of that group, a male Dosadi sauntered past and said,

"Rather sleep with animals, is that it, Sooth?" and glared at her.

Her ears went flat against her skull but before she could say anything, Wilkes stepped directly in front of him and said, "You little _shit_." Hoping that the translator would put in all the venom he intended he continued, "I know who you are. You're not worth the time it would take to turn you into a rug."

Kam hissed at him, "You need a lesson, ape."

"Think you can teach me? You don't even have a Pendant or a tattoo, that tells me you're a coward as well as a fool."

Kam was beside himself with rage, "I challenge you, animal. NOW." and people began to back away, clearing a ring around them. He dropped into a crouch and bared his teeth.

Wilkes was fervently hoping that the year he had spent on the Academy Combatives team would pay off. He'd seen a few challenges play out since he'd come aboard, he just never expected to be in one. He kept his arms wide, his hands open and watched Kam. Wilkes was bigger, but probably not stronger. He wasn't sure about Kam's speed, but after last night he knew a lot more about Dosadi anatomy and he had some ideas.

People had begun cheering both of them on and offering helpful suggestions to the two fighters. Kam made a couple of fast swipes with a clawed hand, but Wilkes simply dodged the blows, getting a feel for how he moved and how fast. Kam tried a fast leg-sweep, and Wilkes took the chance for a snap-kick into his shin as it swept in. Spitting, Kam rolled away and back to his feet, limping some. Kam tried another couple of strikes, but Wilkes blocked them, getting some deep cuts in his forearms in the process.

"You bleed like a teeg." Kam smiled. Wilkes ignored him, continuing to leave wider and wider targets for Kam to swing at. Finally, when both Kam's arms were out wide, Wilkes ducked, feinted a hook and as Kam moved to block, drove in close, grappling him to the ground and moving quickly into a front mount, pinning him to the deck.

Wilkes decided that he needed more of a lesson than just a choke-out and began to pound his face with his fists. Kam was clawing at his legs and trying to get his arms up to block, but their arms didn't work as well as a human's did, in-close. Especially not in such a disadvantaged position. Once he had his face thoroughly bloodied and the big cat groggy from the repeated blows, Wilkes dropped flat onto him and slid one arm under the back of his neck and the other across, using his own neck fur to apply an Ezekial-choke hold, cutting off both his air and the blood to his brain. In seconds, Kam went limp. He kept the choke on a few seconds longer than he needed to in order to guarantee he'd wake up with the mother of all migraines, and then he sat up and got to his feet, leaving the limp, bloody Kam laying on the deck.

"Anyone _else_ want to say something about Sooth?" he asked. There was a smattering of laughter from the ring around them, but no takers. Shaking the blood off his arms he saw Inveth watching him – Wilkes thought the Marine approved, but he wasn't sure. Walking up to Corin he asked, "Brawling in the barracks – In Starfleet, that's a week in the brig, how bad is it here?"

"Bad?" Corin laughed and put his hand on his shoulder, "You just had your first challenge and you absolutely kicked his tail! It's not bad, it's excellent. We're different than your people, Wilkes. This is our way of settling disputes – and this settles it. Completely. I know humans are big on revenge, we're not. You don't need to bring it up again to him or his friends."

Nollos came up with a med-kit and said "Well done! Everyone wondered if you'd ever challenge anyone about anything. Let me close up those cuts – you'll have to clean up your own mess off the deck though." she chuckled, indicating the bloody trail he had left from the wounds. As she waved the wound-sprayer across the cuts, closing them up, she asked, "So, why did you challenge him? Because he called you an animal, right?"

"No, because he insulted Sooth. I don't care what he calls me." he answered, watching her heal the gouges in his arms and legs.

Sooth said, "I don't need anyone to fight for me, Wilkes."

"I know you don't, Sooth. You guys have your culture and I have mine. In my culture a man who insults a woman is scum. And any man who cares about her will step up to defend her whether she needs it or not. I'm not just going to walk away like that."

As Nollos was finishing with the wound spray, the alert siren began to wail. Wilkes said, "Dammit! I had the morning off!" and everyone began jumping for where their gear was stored.


	8. Chapter 6

_**CHAPTER 6**_

"_Qui audet adipiscitur" (Who dares, wins) _

_- David Stirling – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

JANUARY 2268

As usual, the alert siren was a drill. But, like any drill you had to do the job the same way you would if it were real – Train like you fight and you fight like you train. That motto had been around longer than there had been space flight. The First Officer aboard the _Delos_, Commander Sethos, felt that drilling was needed both to shake down all the new systems aboard and to gain the proficiency needed to win in combat. He liked realism and had been known to start a second drill as the first was winding down in order to simulate a surprise attack.

M'Ralin had his crew hanging weapons on pylons on the big _Tomcat_ fighter while Wilkes and his crew dumped in all the charge the phaser and shield capacitors would take. During a scramble, everything has to happen all at once in order to get the birds into their launch tubes and ready to go as quickly as possible. The hangar launch bays were in the two long, heavy pods that ran along the tips of the 'wings' of the _Delos_' squat, rectangular hull. Fighters recovered by flying through the big clam-shell doors on either end of the pod. The long, open deck allowed fighters to be recovered at much higher speeds than other carriers. Unlike most space-faring nations, the Dosadi placed their warp engines close to the center-line and put weapons pods out where other races' had their warp nacelles, trading improved fields of fire for higher shielding requirements and a slower maximum speed when traveling at warp.

It was while they had the fighter on the tug and were guiding it towards the launch tube that things went wrong. M'Ralin and one of his crew were finishing the connections between one of the Countach anti-ship drones and the _Tomcat_'s power systems when there was a loud bang, a bright flash, and the fighter collapsed onto it's left wing, pinning M'Ralin and Tovath under the missile they had been working on as smoke began curling out of the wing's access panels.

Corin immediately slapped the alarm panel and the team began trying to free the trapped crewmen. Lieutenant Commander Delac, stuck inside the cockpit of his powerless fighter, was trying to operate the manual egress system. Shouting orders, Corin directed two of the team to pull the manual canopy release and another to get a power lift but before they could start on these tasks, they heard the high-pitched whine of the phaser power system beginning to overload and open flames broke out on the wing, curling slowly towards the warhead on the drone.

They had just about 60 seconds to evacuate the bay and trigger the isolation field before the fighter exploded from either the phaser overload or the warhead on the drone cooking off.

Wilkes dove under the crippled fighter and popped an access panel off the aft end and began working frantically inside while Corin and the others tried to free the trapped crewmen and Delac and it was becoming very obvious that they were going to lose the race. The two on the fuselage finally managed to pop the canopy and haul Delac out. As they sprinted for the bay door, Corin ordered the rest of the team out.

"Wilkes! I see you under there. Get the hell out of the bay!"

"No, I got this. Just hang on."

The phaser overload was becoming a scream. "Dammit, Wilkes, that's an order!"

"Sure thing, boss." came the muffled answer, followed by another loud pop and flash and every loose piece of gear in the bay slammed into the walls as the _Tomcat's_ shield generator powered on.

Corin felt all the fur on his body stand on end from the force field that now surrounded him. "Wilkes! What the fuck did you do?" He continued trying to get the lift to engage under the wing, knowing that he was out of time. "Wilkes! I said get out of there!" A pointless order, he thought since the blast door was down.

"Wilkes?" He noticed that the scream from the phaser power-pack had leveled off. Finally getting the power-lift to engage on one of the outboard missile mounts, he started the lift up. The screaming sound was starting to taper off, he thought. "Wilkes! Answer me!" Pulling M'Ralin and Tovath out from under the drone that had trapped them, he dropped flat and slid under the fighter towards where Wilkes was still half inside the access panel.

"Wilkes?" He shook his shoulder, getting no response. The whine was definitely getting fainter, much faster now. Pulling the unconscious Ensign out of the belly of the fighter, he noticed burns across his face and arms and splatters of metal all over the area. Checking for a pulse and finding none he cursed, "Oh shit. Dammit, Wilkes!" and he tried to figure out what to do for a human with no heartbeat.

Taking his best guess, he started chest compressions over where he hoped his heart was, listening to the phaser pack slowly wind down.

Wilkes opened his eyes and immediately regretted doing so. Every inch of him ached. His chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it and his head felt like it was in a vice. He heard a voice speaking Dosadi and tried to get the Universal Translator implant to activate, mentally kicking it several times. Looking at the medic he said, "Slowly, please. I don't understand."

She winced and said, in Standard, "Your accent is horrible, Ensign. I said, 'So you've decided to live, have you?'" and she smiled.

"Can I go back and change my decision?" he winced at the sound of his own voice.

She laughed and patted his leg, "No, I'm afraid not. I promised I'd call your Team Leader when you woke up – I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Corin came into Sick Bay and looked down at him, frowning. "You going to make a habit out of disobeying orders, Ensign?"

"No, Team Leader, I'm not. I didn't, in fact, disobey. When you made it an order, I was no longer capable of obeying."

Shaking his head, Corin laughed, "Technicalities. What the hell did you DO anyway? We've spent the last two days safeing all the systems on Delac's bird, but there's a lot of damage to the power systems."

"Well, in the Academy I got to spend time working on a couple different fighters. One of my professors was a huge fan of fighter tactics and systems and he had our class tear them down and build them back up again. One of them was an older mark of _Tomcat_. They're really amazing birds. Anyway, when I heard the phaser capacitor start overloading, I figured out that M'Ralin must've caused a short in the power-systems when they coupled the Countach in on its hard-point. So basically, that caused a run-away in the power system with the capacitor in a feedback loop.

"In the back end though, the shield-generator power-coupling is pretty close to conduits for the phaser system. We found out the hard way at the Academy that you can bridge the two with a spanner and drain the entire phaser system into the shields. It makes a real mess of the insides though and makes a pretty spectacular bang. When we did it though there was only residual power left in the system.

"I took one of the 2" spanners and shorted between the two systems so that instead of feeding back into itself, all the power dumped into the shield system. I didn't think I'd get the jolt that I did though. My buddy at the Academy got himself blown out of the access panel and his hair stood on end. He had some burns was all. I'm guessing I got knocked cold?"

Corin stared at him. "Damn, Wilkes, that's clever as hell. The shields crushed anything even slightly fragile and smashed tools into wall panels all over the bay. It was a good thing that they had the isolation door down or it probably would've thrown the rest of the team across the hangar deck. And it's a damn good thing we were all in contact with the hull or we would've gone too.

"You got a bit more than knocked cold. The spanner fused into the power system and blew molten iridium steel all over you and the inside of the _Tomcat_. Oh, and incidentally, the little jolt you got stopped your heart. Fortunately for you, I'm not only an amazing Team Leader, I'm also a miracle healer and I was able to keep you alive until the shields collapsed and they opened the bay up again.

"M'Ralin and Tovath are still in regen over there" he waved his arm to the far side of Sick Bay "Their lower halves got kinda smashed, but they'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"That explains why my chest feels like you were jumping up and down on it."

"Well, I pretty much was. Plus, I was seriously pissed off at you. I hadn't given you permission to die."

Wilkes laughed and regretted it. "So when can I get out of here?"

"Up to you. The medics say you're physically fine, you're just going to feel like shit for a couple of days." Wilkes slowly started to work his way out of the diagnostic bed. "Oh, and Captain Nolin says 'Thank you'. He seems to feel your quick action saved a lot of damage to the _Delos_, my life, M'Ralin's, and Tovath's as well. Delac says to tell you that you're going to have to repair the mess you made in the guts of his bird though."

Corin watched him stand and finally spoke again, "Wilkes, Sooth's likely to be really mad at you, OK?"

"Huh? Why?"

"She's let you get closer than anyone, closer even than Nollos and me and I think even Eletha. She's...Look, she's not had anyone stick around in her life very long and she's pretty much run away from everyone for as long as anyone can remember. They had to work on you for a bit before your heart kicked in again and she found out about it. She looked like someone gut-punched her.

"Just don't take it badly if she's mad, OK? Don't let her run away."

"I won't. I wouldn't anyway. But thank you for letting me know; at least I'll understand why."

"Hey, what are leaders for, right?"

Wilkes grinned at him, "Oh, by the way, any idea why my UT implant isn't working? I can't get it to respond and my Dosadi still sucks. Thank God most every one speaks Standard."

"I think you fried it when you tried to become part of the phaser system, Wilkes. Time for a crash-course in Dosadi."


	9. Chapter 7

_**CHAPTER 7**_

"_Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it" _ _- Bill Cosby – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

JANUARY 2268

As they walked back to the East Living Pod, Wilkes decided that moving wasn't going to kill him after all. "What time is it anyway?" he asked.

"Typical for you, you've managed to miss the entire work day – it's just time for the evening meal."

"I've always had good timing." Wilkes smiled.

"I think you're just lucky." Corin snorted.

"It works out the same." he laughed just in time for the door to cycle open. Corin led the way over to their favorite spot for chow. He could see the rest of the group there, and of course the first person he looked for was Sooth. Sitting down in between her and Nollos, he greeted them all "Hey everyone, sorry I'm late!"

Nollos laughed, "Only by a couple of days."

Eletha handed him a glass of the dark green Dosadi whiskey, "Here, I'm guessing you need this."

Taking the glass he said, "Thank you!" and turning to Sooth he said, "Are you OK?"

Glaring back at him she said, "Why wouldn't I be? I'm not the one who plugged himself into a phaser-capacitor." But her eyes lingered on his face.

Nollos said, "Well I'm glad he did. They said the whole thing would've exploded in the bay and killed Corin, M'Ralin, and Tovath if he hadn't."

Sooth glanced at her, and then back at Wilkes. She reached her hand up and touched his face around his left eye. "I guess it looks good on you."

Confused, Wilkes asked, "What does? Am I still burned?"

Nollos giggled and Eletha said, "Corin! Didn't you tell him?"

"It didn't really come up." he shrugged.

"What?" he put his hand up and tried to feel what was different about his face. Even Sooth stifled a giggle. "Um, little help? Anyone got a mirror?"

T'Laren pulled out a small inspection mirror and handed it over with a smile.

Wilkes held the mirror up and noted a simple, single strand tattoo around the outside of his left eye. "What the hell?"

Corin said, "Well, Force Leader F'Aath thought you'd earned it. The rest of us agreed. That was a hell of a thing, Wilkes."

Trying not to smile too widely he said simply, "Thank you."

Nollos reached over and squeezed his arm with a big smile. "You should get some chow."

"Actually, what I want is to steal Sooth away for a few minutes, if that's OK?" She snapped her head around to glare at him.

"Why?" she asked.

"I want to talk with you. In private. Please?"

"Fine. I'm done eating anyway." She stood up

They walked a short way away from the rest of their friends until they found a quiet place in the midst of some hanging ivy-like vines and he asked, "Sooth, are you mad at me for something?"

"No. Why should I be?"

"I'm not sure. You just seem really angry and distant and I'm not sure why."

She looked away and down. He waited a few moments to see if she'd answer him. "Sooth, did I hurt you somehow?" Still no answer. He reached over and gently touched her arm. "If I did, I'm sorry, and I sure didn't mean to."

Finally she answered, "No, it's not you, I just...I let myself...It's me, all right?"

They stood there like that for a little while, neither of them saying anything, until Wilkes said, "Sooth, I think you're one of the most amazing people I've ever met." he began to slowly stroke her arm as he talked, "I would never deliberately hurt you, or make you upset, or afraid."

She flicked her eyes back at him. "That's it, isn't it?" he asked.

She looked away again. "You're making _me_ afraid right now."

She turned back towards him again, "What? How am I doing that?"

"I'm afraid you'll shut me out. That you won't want to be my friend any more." Her eyes got wide and he said more softly, "I don't want you to leave my life, Sooth."

She opened her mouth, but nothing really came out. She tried to turn away but he gripped her arm and held her fast. She turned her head as far around as she could and he stepped closer to her. She started to pull back but Wilkes wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently. She started shaking, and he realized that she was crying. He wasn't even aware that Dosadi _could_ cry. She was very quiet about it, but she was gulping air in big racking sobs while he held her.

As she cried herself out, she clumsily returned the hug, burying her face in his neck, the fur wet with tears and he brushed his hand along the back of her head and neck. He caught a quick glimpse of Eletha's concerned face peeking in at them. Looking surprised, she left again without making a sound.

"Can you tell me a little about it?"

She sniffled but made no answer. He waited. Finally she said, "I'm sorry. I...I've never really had any luck with people."

"How come?"

"Everyone I ever tried to get close to died, or left, or got rid of me. I thought you were going to die too."

"I'm fine. Corin was there for me. What about your parents?"

"They died when I was 2. I don't want to talk about them now, Wilkes. OK? Maybe later."

"Okay, Sooth. I don't want to push. Didn't you get adopted or something? Don't the Dosadi treat kids as like everyone's responsibility?"

"Normally. But I wasn't on Dosad. I was on a Federation research vessel. For a few years anyway. Then they gave me to a Dosadi destroyer they ran into. I lived with them for a year. Then they dumped me in T'Elesh on Dosad. No one knew me, or my parents and I didn't fit in anywhere. I didn't know how. People got tired of me fast, so I moved around a lot before they'd get sick of me.

It's easier if you don't let anyone get close, so you don't care about them. It only hurts if you care, right?"

He squeezed her tight, "Jesus, Sooth. No wonder you're so gun-shy."

She sniffed again, "I'm kind of a mess. I fit in really well with my team though, because I lived with the Marines on the _Raleen_ before they kicked me out. No one else really seems to get along with me."

"Sooth, I'm sure they didn't kick you out – they were sending you someplace where you had a chance at a family. The crew of a destroyer is going to be too small, I'm sure they wanted to give you more options. And I know a lot of people here like you. Eletha? Corin? Nollos? Your team?"

"Eletha's different. She's been really nice to me. I'm not sure about the rest. I think they put up with me anyway."

Wilkes chuckled. "You really don't see it, do you?"

Surprised she said, "See what? What's funny?"

He smiled at her and ran his finger along the soft fur of her ear. "Sooth, everyone likes you and cares about you way more than you know." She snorted and he continued, "A while back your entire combat team looked me up in the shower to let me know that they wouldn't put up with me hurting you. Eletha thinks you're awesome and worries about you all the time. And today, Corin warned me that you were mad at me and wanted to be sure I wasn't going to let you push me away."

"What?"

"Yeah. Everyone here wants you to be happy, Sooth. They care about you. Now I know why everyone was staring at us this morning, no wait...I've lost track of time. Whenever that was. The morning after we slept together and why so many people were smiling."

"They were?"

"Yup. I wondered about that. Now I know. They were just happy that y_ou_ were happy."

She thought about that for a little while, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"That's OK. Just do me a favor and just watch, and see if what I just said makes more sense than what you've believed about yourself, all right? Maybe you'll surprise yourself."

"OK. I can do that." She paused for a moment, "Am I too messed up?"

"For what?"

Quietly, she said, "For you."

Laughing he said, "Hell no, Sooth. I'm messed up too. Everyone is one way or another. I think you're amazing and I want to learn everything there is to know about you. And I always want you to be my friend and in my life."

"But you're leaving, you'll go back to the Federation."

"That's a long way off yet, Sooth. I don't know what I'll do then. But I do know I like you, I think more than I've ever liked anyone."

She squeezed him again, not meeting his eyes, and they stood hugging each other for another few minutes. She sniffed again and said, "We should probably go back."

"Sure." He unwrapped his arms and smiled at her. "Would you share a sleeping spot with me tonight?"

Smiling back she answered, "If you really want to." and they walked back to their friends.


	10. Chapter 8

_**CHAPTER 8**_

_Few things are brought to a successful issue by impetuous desire, but most by calm and prudent forethought _

– _Thucydides, Greece, Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

FEBRUARY 2268

A month had come and gone since the accident in the hangar bay and Wilkes was finding himself feeling truly at home for the first time in his life. Looking around the large group of friends, he wondered why it was that he fit in so much better with an alien species than his own. It wasn't that he didn't have friends on Earth, it was just...that's _all_ they were. People to hang out with and sometimes do things with. Even Angie had been a temporary thing and they both knew it. Neither of them had ever said 'the L word', and neither of them had expected it.

He looked over at Sooth, talking with Nollos and a couple of her friends from the Disruptor section. Did he love Sooth? He wasn't really sure, but he couldn't imagine not spending time with her. He had never really committed to anything in his life and the idea was scary. Corin and T'Laren were tormenting two of Eletha's kits and M'Ralin and Tovath were playing a tune that some of group were starting to sing along with. How had these people become so much more to him than his classmates at the Academy?

He'd had a few more challenges in the last month as well, some for fun, some to prove a point. He'd never again done as well as his fight with Kam, but he'd hung on to win one and pull a draw in another. But his match against Force Leader F'Aath over F'Aath's disciplining of one of Wilkes' men had not gone well at all. The older man had studied military history at Heidelberg in Germany on Earth and was quite used to matching against humans. He had pretty thoroughly taken Wilkes apart. He grinned ruefully at the memory of that match. It had taken him a few days for all the bruises to go away and he had a few new scars to remind him of it.

Looking up at the pale blue lighting across the high ceiling of the East Living Pod, he thought that, as usual, the day was going by too fast. Dosad had a 20 hour day and their ships kept their clocks in synch with the capitol on Dosad. That was always one of the confusing things about the fabric of interstellar society and culture – time. Your ship was on one schedule, any ship you encountered from another species was likely to be on a very different one. And no matter what planet you encountered, their clocks would be still different. Most captains tried to time their arrivals so that they at least started in the day time for their vessel and for whatever part of the planet they had business with. But, of course, if you were arriving for a scheduled event, that wasn't an option.

Not for the first time he was glad he wasn't a senior officer. The _Delos_ was entering orbit around a Federation Starbase on the planet Toulagai. There was some big diplomatic thing going on, but what was an early evening event for Toulagai was the middle of the night for the _Delos_. So he'd be asleep with his friends while the crew in the West Living Pod got to pull the duty for that – and the senior staff had to be down on Toulagai, getting no sleep at all, poor things.

FEDERATION STARBASE 26, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

That evening on Toulagai, Commodore Selek was watching the shifting patterns of individuals mixing at the annual Ambassador's Ball. He found the bits of order that appeared in the semi-random patterns fascinating. The fact that this year there also happened to be a major medical conference meant that there was a lot of Starfleet blue mixed in with the more usual diplomatic tan or command gold. The conference had attracted a number of other races to this rather exposed outpost. Even non-aligned smaller powers such as the Gorns, Hydrans, Dosadi, Tholian, and Lyran's were present.

Although there was a cold peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire at the moment, the presence of a sizable Klingon delegation was definitely cause for care. As a Vulcan, he felt he was rather uniquely qualified to see this complex mix of races, interests, and activities through to a successful conclusion. Had he been a member of a more emotional race, he'd likely be seen as smug. After all, there were fleets from six different space-faring races in orbit around his starbase and all were co-existing quite peacefully. Truly an example of what logical pacifism could accomplish.

Scanning across the currents and eddies of people in the large ballroom, he raised his left eyebrow upon noticing a group made up of several different military factions. As he was calculating whether that should be broken up or not, his First Officer, Commander Jackson, interrupted his thoughts. A tall black man with close-cropped hair and a narrow mustache, he had a commanding presence, a trait that the Commodore had often made use of.

"Hey boss, you see that little knot over there in the corner?" he gestured with his cigar, an affectation that Selek found both curious and disgusting.

"Of course, Commander. They are in full view, after all."

"I think we might wanna go over there and break that up before trouble starts. I don't like the mix."

"I'm curious as to your reasons, Commander Jackson." Although he was following the same chain of thought, he wanted to know the Commander's rationale. His human intuition often reached the correct conclusion before logic would dictate the same course of action. And after years of successful teamwork, Selek had learned to trust that intuition like he trusted the starbase's library computer.

Jackson took a long puff on his cigar. "Well, the big Gorn there, Admiral T'Skay, he's been drinking a bit more than is smart. And you _know_ the Dosadi, Ambassador Solyn, he's not exactly the calm and content type of pussycat. They've been sparring verbally all night and Solyn's been coming out on the short end of it. Admiral Kremble there, she's commanding that big new Hydran carrier, the _Kingdom_, she seems to be backing the lizard. Drake, the Klingon who brought that battleship here, he just seems to want to see a fight. He's been playing the 'let's you and him fight' game for a while. He'd LOVE to see these alliances go out the window.

"Then it may indeed be prudent to gently separate the group, Commander. How do you suggest we go about it?"

Near the cluster of military men that was troubling Selek and Jackson, Lieutenant Christine Chapel was chatting with the Toulagai ambassador. The Toulagai were near earth-normal humanoids with a very slight empathic ability leading to comparisons to the Betazoids and endless theorizing about the spread of humanoid races throughout the galaxy. An utterly pacifist race, they welcomed the Federation's offer of a starbase as it meant protection and stability for their precariously placed planet.

"Lieutenant, now that the conference is complete, will you be returning to your duties aboard the fabled _Enterprise_?" the ambassador asked in Standard. By universal custom, the language spoken was that of the hosts, in this case, the Federation.

Chapel allowed herself a slight chuckle, "Fabled? I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, and I'm very sure Dr. McCoy wouldn't. He'd probably make some complaint about the 'infernal gadgetry' and 'gallivanting across the cosmos'. But yes, I'm looking forward to it. I learned quite a lot here that I'll be presenting to the medical staff aboard."

The ambassador smiled, "Your presentation was also quite interesting. I don't believe anyone expected that a fleet-duty Starfleet nurse would be sharing such advanced research on multi-phasic neural re-growth therapies for disrupted tissues. Perhaps a doctor from a research station, yes, but from a Starship? This is only one reason among many as to why I say 'fabled', Lt. Chapel."

The volume of conversation from the group near them was starting to attract attention. Chapel noticed the Starbase Commander and his First Officer heading across the ballroom towards the group. Gesturing towards a Dosadi in the uniform of a ship's captain, she commented "I know it's unprofessional and likely racist, but I always want to pet the Dosadi. They just look so cuddly!"

The ambassador's eyes widened. He looked at the Dosadi officer she had indicated. He was slightly over 5' tall, and looked like nothing so much as a Terran cougar that had decided to walk upright and upgrade his paws for fur-covered hands. The uniform consisted of a beaded necklace with a jeweled pendant strung snugly about the throat, a black cloak with the four broad silver stripes of a Fleet Captain across the shoulders, calf-high black boots and dark blue trousers with a bronze stripe down each leg. The Captain wore a long sword and had a silver hoop earring in his left ear and a complex tattoo around his left eye. He turned back to Nurse Chapel, "The Dosadi? Cuddly? Do you see the Warrior's Pendant around their necks? They earn that in a ceremony that involves going into the wild, naked and unarmed. Each competes to bring back the greatest trophy of their courage possible, and only those who are judged worthy by elder Warriors are allowed to wear the pendant. Many make several attempts before success. Many never achieve it. Many never return. They are a strict honor/shame society that reveres courage and valor in battle above all. They get along well with the Klingons and often engage in personal combat with them as a test of courage and honor – a practice the Klingons encourage and participate in with great gusto. Raids between the two races are not seen as an act of war, but more of a sport. They recently nearly exterminated the entire planet of Romulus. They are allied with the Federation because it was a Starfleet cruiser, the _Defiant,_ that made first contact with them over a century ago and the Federation has provided much assistance to them in the years since. There is nothing about them that is 'cuddly'."

Chapel rolled her eyes, "You don't understand. Anything that looks like a great big kitty looks cuddly. Give him a hat with a feather in it and he could have walked out of a fairy tale – Puss in Boots." She smiled and in a conspiratorial whisper said, "They'd probably enjoy being scratched behind the ears..."

The ambassador was _almost_ sure she was teasing him.

Admiral T'Skay was enjoying himself. Baiting Ambassador Solyn was very amusing. The big cat had been getting more and more angry as the night had gone on, and was a little past civil by now. He and the Hydran female, Admiral Kremble, had made something of a game of tormenting the diplomat. He leaned over to the short, chocolate skinned humanoid female and stage-whispered, "How do you think he'd react if I pulled his tail?"

The Hydrans were a small interstellar Kingdom made up of several humanoid races spread across half a dozen planets. All shared a few traits in common – they were quite small in stature and inter-breeding had given them a genetic predisposition towards skin and hair in a wild mix of colors. One Federation wag, a fan of ancient entertainments, had tagged them with the nickname 'Oompa-loompas', an obscure reference to characters in a pre-atomic story who happened to look a lot like the Hydrans. Calling a Hydran an Oompa-loompa was a sure way to start a fight. - but the nickname had stuck.

Kremble giggled and pushed her bright pink hair back behind her ears again. The big cat looked like he was going to spit. Whatever the Federation stewards had been serving as drinks, it wasn't Synthahol and it was making her feel a little fuzzy. "I dunno. Maybe he'd like some catnip."

The ambassador pulled his lips back into a snarl and laid his ears back nearly flat on his head.

Admiral Drake, the Klingon, turned to his aide and said "Strange, I didn't think a warrior people would put up with this level of dishonor. Tsk."

Snarling, Ambassador Solyn spat out, "There is no dishonor in being insulted by lesser creatures who are very likely mentally damaged besides. As an ambassador, it is my duty to maintain alliances, even with those who are despicable and beneath me."

T'Skay said, "Well, of course! After all, we all know why dead cats are fatter than live cats, right?" Commodore Selek and Commander Jackson had just reached the group as T'Skay went on, "Because the live ones run faster!"

Solyn's eyes were slits and his ears were flat against his skull. Even Captain Nolin's ears were back. Commodore Selek moved to prevent an explosion, "Admiral, that was neither an accurate statement, nor an effective joke..."

T'Skay interrupted him "Joke? I wasn't making a joke. I'm sure all those Dosadi who fail their Warrior testing provide some very useful protein to a wide variety of species!"

Jackson was barely too slow to catch Solyn as he leapt onto the eight-foot tall T'Skay, all claws and teeth. Kremble, realizing that T'Skay had gone too far, made a grab for the massive tyrannosaur-looking Admiral, her 75 lbs having absolutely no effect upon the quarter ton alien. Selek quickly stepped in front of Nolin and managed to keep him from joining the fracas. Although T'Skay was considerably more massive than Solyn, Solyn was faster and was swarming all over the Gorn, leaving bloody claw marks in his wake.

There was a loud hissing sound _not_ coming from the Dosadi and the Ambassador slid off of T'Skay's back onto the floor, unconscious. T'Skay spun around, enraged, and Nurse Chapel held the hypo-spray up and said "There's more than enough here for you too, Admiral. I suggest you cut it OUT...Sir."

Selek released Captain Nolin and spoke calmly, "Excellent timing, Lieutenant. I think it is time for you gentlemen to find other – separate – amusements this evening. You are behaving in a most undignified manner and are disturbing our other guests."

Nolin's fur was spiked out and as he was collecting Solyn he hissed at the now bloody Gorn, "This is NOT over. We'll blow you out of space you dishonorable coward."

Drake could barely conceal his glee. Clapping his hand on T'Skay's huge shoulder he laughed, "Ha! We've got you outnumbered better than three to one, pussycat!"

Kremble was trying to decide if she wanted to play a part in this. Her ships were new, untried in battle. By allying with the Gorn and Klingons for a little scrap, she could give her ships a nice live-fire trial with little risk. She made her choice adding in, "Don't even try it, cat. My carrier is every bit the equal of yours and we've got a lot more firepower than you can even dream of."

Jackson tried to calm everyone down, blowing a cloud of noxious smoke into the group in an attempt to distract them from their posturing. "Now, why don't we all settle down. This is a party – let's head back to our tables and have something to..."

Nolin pulled out a small round communicator from his belt and hissed something in Dosadi. Indicating the three across from him he growled "Defend yourselves, fools." and seconds later, he and the unconscious Ambassador dissolved in a transporter beam.

Selek attempted to regain some control over the situation, "Now, there is no need for you to return to your ships. The Dosadi will not attack vessels in orbit over the Starbase. We must allow time for the situation to stab..."

No one was listening. In rapid succession the Gorn, Klingon and Hydran contingents beamed out, leaving the Federation officers staring. Commander Jackson took a long draw on his cigar and growled, "God DAMN those cats are more trouble than they're worth."

Selek answered, "Indeed, Commander. I've often wondered how such a small empire can cause so much heartache for so many other governments. I've often questioned the Federation's wisdom in providing them with advanced technology and utilizing them as mercenaries."

Jackson said, "No shit." as red alert klaxons began sounding.


	11. Chapter 9

_**CHAPTER 9**_

_By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. - Benjamin Franklin, Earth (Human)_

_Explosions are not comfortable. - Yevegny Zamyatin, Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, IN ORBIT OVER TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Back aboard the _ISS Delos_, Corin was jarred out of a sound sleep by the alert siren. Curled up with him, spoon-fashion, Nollos laid her ears back and spat, "IF that bald rat Sethos is running another drill I'm going to rip his tail off." People were uncurling throughout the East Living Pod, and Corin allowed himself a fast chin-rub across the top of Nollos' head before jumping to the floor. The lights had gone from a dim blue-grey with simulated stars over the greenery to the heat and glaring yellow-white of a Dosadi mid-day in an instant. As he was pulling on his forest green coveralls, Corin searched through the groups of crewmen, using eyes, nose, and ears to locate the members of his team and make sure they were on the move.

As always, one face stood out from the sea of cream and tan fur and the red, white and green coveralls – a lone human pulling on the red and black uniform of Starfleet's Engineering crews. Corin had been impressed with Ensign Thomas Wilkes' courage and the enthusiasm with which he approached his assignment. He could only hope that Crew Leader Toralin was doing as well aboard the Federation heavy cruiser _USS Hood_.

Corin felt that Ensign Wilkes had adapted well to the Dosadi's very different patterns. During his six months aboard the _Delos _the twenty year-old human had stood his ground in several personal combats, even winning a couple. He had several new scars to prove his courage and his Force Leader had awarded him an honor tattoo around his eye. But before the _gods_ he would never learn to speak Dosadi properly.

"Wilkes!" Corin called out in Standard, "Make sure your crew checks the a-grav units in Lieutenant Commander Delac's bird. He said there was a flutter the last time he launched and that's not acceptable."

"Understood, Crew Leader." Wilkes answered back, gathering up the four Dosadi that made up his crew and heading out of the living pod at a trot. Crew Leader M'Ralin and his crew were already gone. Corin caught Nollos' eye as she made her way out of the pod towards the hangar bays and twitched his whiskers at her. She rewarded him with a flick of her tail and a bit more wiggle in her hips as she jogged out of sight.

Endless drilling aboard the _Delos _was the standard. The big assault carrier was the pride of the Dosadi Imperial Fleet. But she was the third such vessel built – at great cost – and the only one surviving. The first, the _ISS Thorin_ had been lost with all hands along with two corvettes the day she had launched, destroyed in a Romulon ambush. The second, the _ISS Loreth_ had also been destroyed by the Romulons, but this time a single A-10 _Thunderbolt_ fighter had survived along with her SWACS shuttlecraft and crew. Her death had been part of the Dosadi Razing of Romulus and had cost Corin one of his brothers, but the records brought back by the _ISS Avric_ and the _Loreth_ survivors were instrumental in advising design and training modifications for the _Delos_ and her escorting corvettes.

Captain Nolin was determined that the _Delos_ would have a long and valiant career and drilled his crew mercilessly. His First Officer, Commander Sethos was feared and respected throughout the crew. He thought nothing of staging drill upon drill and was an absolute terror in the challenge ring. However, as a result of this endless training, his crews could preform their duties in their sleep.

Wilkes was on his knees, pulling the west a-grav unit out of the big Federation-designed F-14 _Tomcat_ fighter as someone on the bridge began piping battle music into the hangar bay. The big cats liked music and used it throughout battles – something he could never quite get used to after the austere silence of the _USS Hood_. The skirling bagpipe-like trusk, flutes, and drums sounded very Scottish to him. He had always heard bagpipes described as looking and sounding like someone had a cat under their arm with its tail in their mouth. Looking around him at the big, sentient cats preparing for battle, he couldn't help but smile at the thought. And as always, that led him to "A bunch of tom cats working on a _Tomcat_." and he stifled a chuckle, bending to his work making sure the bi-lateral anti-gravity units were properly synchronized.

As Corin reached the hangar bay, he saw the two crews of four and their leaders that made up his team already swarming over Lieutenant Commander Delac's bird. Battle music was being piped into the space, helping to motivate the crewmen. He spared a moment to look down the length of the deck towards the bay where Nollos' white-clad form was working on Lieutenant Tam's F-18 _Hornet_. He sighed and mused "More lost sleep and closeness wit..."

His wistful thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitched whine of the waist phaser banks firing and the slight surge in ship's gravity that always rippled through the _Delos_ when she went to maximum speed and he realized that this was NOT another drill. "What in the name of Loreth?! We're in orbit around a Federation starbase!" Seconds later the aft phasers discharged and the ship rocked from incoming fire. Crew looked up from their work, realizing that this was the real thing. Suddenly, adrenalin lent new urgency to the familiar tasks.

Pilots in flight-suits came racing in to the hangar bays, pulling on combat helmets on as they ran. Tugs began to hook up to the fighters, ready to push them into the launch tubes. LCDR Delac strode up to Corin, "We've got a good fight on our hands!"

"What's the challenge, sir?" he asked as he began helping the Wing Commander into his _Tomcat_.

"We're going up against three fleets at the same time! Another carrier to boot – Hydran – a battleship, a few cruisers and some corvettes. Klingons and Gorns along with the Hydrans. Should be interesting."

Corin glanced down at the anti-ship and anti-fighter missiles festooning the _Tomcat_'s wings and the big phaser mount in her nose. Getting a whisker and ear flick from his lead weaponeer, he said, "You're ready to go, sir. Honor above all!"

Delac bared his fangs, "Honor above all!" and closed the canopy on his fighter. The tug pushed the bird into the launch tube, Wilkes connected the quick-release computer, power, and coolant connections and Corin primed the systems to launch-ready. One of the kittens was making the rounds of the crews with energy drinks and he took one, giving the kit an affectionate pummel. He didn't recognize the little male, so he was evidently just learning his duties. Watching the kit hurry off to another crewman, he allowed himself to daydream about what his and Nollos' kits would look like. She hadn't been given leave to have a litter yet, but would be soon he was sure.

In the years since Federation first-contact, the Dosadi had expanded their empire to nearly a dozen planets and three different sentient species. Taking their cue from the Federation and their own philosophy, the members of the Dosadi Imperium were not slaves, but free partners. By now, even those who had been brought into the Empire through military conquest were willing members of a greater Empire.

Waiting for their bird to launch, Corin thought that deck crews had a difficult job to do. They had to work frantically to get the birds ready, and then wait. Then when they returned, work even more frantically to get them repaired and ready to go again and then more waiting. It could be maddening. Corin brought up a small holographic copy of the tactical display in the Bridge so that the crews could keep track of what was going on. Other Team Leaders did things differently, but he felt that keeping his team informed lead to better understanding and better performance.

Sitting on tool boxes, they watched the two fleets beginning to maneuver, seeing the great number of enemy ships facing their small fleet. This would be a fight worth many a tale. Someone began to sing along with the music being piped into the bay and in moments, most of the crew were adding their voices to the mix.

Wilkes looked around him. This always gave him the shivers and today it was even more energizing. This would be his first real battle and he was terrified he would fail.


	12. Chapter 10

_**CHAPTER 10**_

_Love can do much, but duty more. _

_- Wolfgang Goethe, Earth (Human)_

ROYAL HYDRAN LIGHT CRUISER SUCCESSION, IN ORBIT OVER TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Colonel Sir Jons Seins, Knight Commander of the Royal Hydran (Sword Worlds) Marines was bored. At the moment, he was on the bridge of the light cruiser _Succession_. For this ship, the hour was very early morning, and his Marines were still in their sleeping chambers. Safely in orbit around the Federation starbase at Toulagai, there was really very little to do for Marines. His battalion, spread throughout the four ships of the task force, were certainly not going to be invading Toulagai and weren't terribly likely to be conducting boarding operations against any of the other ships in orbit either. Peace could be so dull.

Still, it was their duty to remain ready at all times and he was not one to fail at his duty. His normal command post was aboard the carrier _Kingdom_ but he liked to make these little unannounced inspections, usually combined with a drill of some sort. It helped keep his troops on their toes and at their best. He would wait another few minutes and then see how this company performed.

Their culture was a very strict patrilinear feudal caste-system where women usually stayed home and tended to hearth and family. Seeing female Hydrans in any position of power was rare and meant an individual of surprising drive and capabilities, as well as powerful patrons. The Colonel wasn't too sure how he felt about being placed under the command of Admiral Lady Kremble Mika, despite her connections to the Duke he owed his fealty to. His own wife was at home, where she belonged, managing his estate and finances and seeing to their four children, as was right and proper, while the Admiral wasn't even married. He harbored certain suspicions about that situation.

As he inspected the various bridge stations aboard the _Succession_, he paid particular attention to the helmsman. Seated, Starfleet Ensign Akemi Yoshida was nearly as tall as his 4' 2", and he was tall for a Hydran. As he scanned her workstation for flaws, he briefly wondered if the Federation was sending a calculated insult to his people by assigning a woman to their officer exchange program. He would make a point of inspecting her sleeping chamber and reviewing her Chief's reports on her efficiency and attention to her duties.

For her part, twenty-two year-old Akemi was nervous. It was an honor to be nominated to the Federation's Officer Exchange Program, but she wished her Lieutenant had given her a few more months to get used to fleet duty aboard the _USS Yorktown_ before she had to try to learn her duties and an entirely new culture as well. And why THIS culture? The Hydrans were so conservative they still treated their women like chattel most of the time. They lived aboard ship like monks, complete with daily rituals and strict codes of behavior. And now the Colonel she had heard was a total bear was standing right behind her, no doubt looking for any mistake. The bridge of the _Succession_ was a small rectangular chamber with the Captain's station above and to the center rear with various stations around the edges and a holographic sphere projecting the space around the ship hovering in front of everyone. It felt even more cramped with the little Colonel looking over her shoulder.

Suddenly, all her nervousness was swept away by stark terror. Her hands flew across the helm controls and the _Succession_ rolled into a tight corkscrew, her engines straining at the sudden override demand from the helm position. The gravity wavered slightly from the power surge and the Colonel opened his mouth to demand answers from this alien _woman_. Before he could speak, a phaser blast lanced into the space where the _Succession_ had been moments before, flashing green light into the bridge from the forward view-screens and the alarm horn sounded its brassy notes.

"What in the seven hells is going ON?!" the Colonel barked out. "Who is firing?"

The defense officer spoke quickly as he began routing power to weapons, shields, and defensive fields, "Sir, the Dosadi! They just started firing. They didn't even use targeting systems! They've also engaged the _Kingdom_ and the _ Horval_. Sir, they scored hits on both before they got their shields up."

Lieutenant Rals Orens, the watch commander spoke up "Colonel, incoming message from the Admiral." and seconds later, the image of Kremble filled the front of the bridge. After a moment scanning the bridge crew, she spoke "Colonel Jons, I'm afraid you're going to be stuck over there for the duration. The Dosadi have elected to attack us, the Gorn, and the Klingons for reasons that I'm sure make some sort of sense to them.

In any case, we massively out-gun them. Lieutenant Rals, you will keep the _Succession _in close formation with the _Kingdom_. I intend to use you as the anvil and our fighter groups as the hammer and crush them between our fires. The Gorn are taking the opposite flank while the Klingons hold the center. This should be quick and easy. By the numbers, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Admiral. You can count on us." He stood and bowed, as did the Colonel.

When she had cut the connection, the Colonel turned to Ensign Yoshida with a frown on his violet-skinned face. "Ensign. You acted without orders and without authority. How did you detect the phaser fire? Sensors had no warning whatsoever of any targeting or shields being raised anywhere."

Sweating and sitting at rigid attention she said, "Sir. As helmsman, it is my duty to keep the ship on a safe course at all times. That duty provides the authority to act in an emergency. As part of that duty, I have been maintaining a regular scan of all other vessels in orbit near us. I noted the Dosadi vessels' power-consumption curves going to emergency maximum. The Command Destroyer _Shagrat_ rolled to present her starboard weapons pod to us while other Dosadi vessels were maneuvering similarly. I concluded that they would try a snap-shot and acted accordingly."

He studied the young Earth woman for a moment. Glancing up as the _Succession's_ captain stalked into the bridge he continued, "Well done, Ensign. Continue your attention to your duty. As I must attend to mine." He headed off the bridge to the Marine command post. The Marines did double-duty as damage control techs during combat, but were always expected to be ready to conduct boarding or defense operations as well.

FEDERATION STARBASE 26, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Almost a thousand kilometers directly beneath Colonel Jons, Commodore Selek and Commander Jackson gave up trying to talk to the now wildly maneuvering ships racing out of orbit.

Jackson gnawed at his cigar, "That's done it then. They got hits on the _Kingdom_, the _Horval, Tyrannus, Tooth_, and the _Devisor_. Someone was awake on the _Succession_ though. That was their only miss – woulda hit 'em right square in the bridge too from the looks of it. I swear the Dosadi have 'relations' with their weapons. No one should be able to shoot that well without computer targeting."

"There is no need to be crude, Commander. It is well known that the Dosadi drill extensively with their weapons both with and without targeting systems. Evidently, the prevailing wisdom that it is impossible to hit maneuvering targets at battle distances and speeds without computer assistance is incorrect.

"Raise shields and energize the weapons. I do not anticipate becoming involved, but there may be stray weapons fire. I do not want to see this situation spiral any further out of control. Also, make sure that all available sensors are tracking the battle and recording. If nothing else, this should provide excellent intelligence for Starfleet analysts."

Petty Officer Bennett, at the Sensory station interrupted them, "Sirs, you might want to see this." and he pushed a toggle, bringing up a local broadcast. A somber-looking man spoke directly into the pickup, "To recap, war has come to Toulagai. Despite the presence of the Federation Starbase, even now dozens of starships are battling it out over our planet for reasons unknown." The image on the screen cut-away to an orbital platform's capture of the _Delos_ engaging several vessels and beginning to rocket away from them, dodging their return fire. The big carrier was charging straight at the pickup and in moments her blue-grey hull flashed past while the green lines of phasers went back and forth.

Jackson snorted at the image. Someone had helpfully added a dramatic soundtrack to the shots including a rumbling bass line for the _Delos'_ engines and the high-pitched whine of phaser fire. "Nice touch." he said, but the newscaster was continuing,

"Clearly all that the presence of this military installation on our peaceful planet has done is to attract even more firepower." The view shifted to a long-shot of the impressive bulk of the Klingon battleship _Reaver. _ "Violence and the tools of violence, infesting our peace-loving world. Was accepting this starbase really the benefit that we've been told that it was? We..."

Jackson gnawed his cigar to the other side of his mouth and said, "Turn that shit off, Bennett."


	13. Chapter 11

_**CHAPTER 11**_

_"Cry 'havoc!' And let slip the dogs of war!" _

_- Chang (Klingon) aboard a Bird of Prey near Camp Khitomer_

ROYAL HYDRAN CARRIER KINGDOM, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Admiral Kremble watched the image of the big Gorn Admiral T'Skay on her viewscreen. He was explaining his battle plan and had some concerns. "If we can just keep that Klingon in line with us, the Dosadi don't stand a chance. We've got them out-gunned almost three to one."

She stood up and walked closer to the main screen. Her dark-chocolate skin and bright pink hair made a startling contrast to the Gorn's olive-drab hide and glittering multi-faceted eyes. "You're worried about a Klingon warrior in a _battle_? Why?"

T'Skay made a face. And when what looks like a bad-tempered dinosaur makes a face, it has a definite impact. "He's an inexperienced political appointee that hasn't the foggiest idea what he's doing. He's got no experience with a single ship, much less a fleet action. And those Dosadi are so damn tricky..."

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Corin got up from watching the maneuvering fleets in the holo-display and checked to be sure that the tools, parts, lubricants, coolants and other consumables were ready. The tune being piped in from the bridge was a slower song more suitable to waiting, but with a slowly increasing tempo. He smiled to himself; Whoever was in charge of the music today was matching song to events well.

All appeared to be in order. Med-kits, fire-fighting tools, emergency seals and patch-kits all in their quick-release housings. The sensors controlling the air-tight doors and last-ditch isolation fields were clear and their panels' self-tests indicated they were operating properly. In the event of a hull-breech too big for the smaller patches, the entire launch bay could be isolated and sealed off from the rest of the ship in a few seconds. You did not want to get caught on the wrong side of the door as the air would get rather thin very quickly.

Hearing the whhhooooof of fighters being fired out of their launchers, he turned back and rejoined his Team at the holo-display. LCDR Delac's fighter was in the lead of Green Wing, taking the lower portion of a pincer type formation. They could hear some chatter over the com circuits as the wings began targeting the Klingon fleet in the center of the enemy formation. When most of the other fighters launched their missiles, Delac and half of Green Wing held their fire and accelerated along with the seeking weapons. As the fighters closed with the Klingon vessels, Delac's three birds suddenly fired everything they had, performed a skew-flip turn and began applying a massive delta-vee to change their vector back to the carrier.

"On your feet! Get reloads up from the storage racks now and get ready to re-arm and recharge." Corin ordered. "I want them ready to launch again in two minutes from when they hit the deck. You hear me now? TWO minutes."

IMPERIAL KLINGON BATTLESHIP REAVER, MANUEVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Aboard the _Reaver_, Admiral Drake had panicked. Despite his officers' assurances that they could track and deal with the hundreds of blinking red lights cutting quickly across the hexagonal grid showing the space around their battle group, all he saw was death. All the lines were closing rapidly with his ships and none of his warships had fired yet. His battle manager tried to calm him down,

"Sir! Courage!" He was disgusted. "Our close-in defenses are designed to work close-in...Sir! There is no need to...!"

Drake saw the group of fighters closing with him launch even more missiles at his vessel and then flip around before his force engaged them. "Come right to 050 and descend! There's too many in-bounds."

The captains of the two corvettes were even more disgusted, trying to track along with the massive battleship as it nearly ran one down and left the other hurrying to remain in formation. Their captains toyed with the idea of breaking orders and engaging on their own, but that was simply not the Klingon way. A warrior people who made the Dosadi look calm, the Klingons loved any sort of challenge. Drake's view screen came to life with Admiral T'Skay's enraged visage.

"What are you DOING you IDIOT?!" he hissed, "Stay in formation!"

Draked, terrified at the complicated tactical plot he really didn't understand shouted back, "I can't you fool! I've got hundreds of drones and two plasma torpedoes targeted on me! I cannot allow this ship to be disabled!"

"That's what your fucking corvettes are for, you ass!"

The warning beeps of the sensors detecting the incoming missiles were getting faster as the range dropped. "There are too many! They're too close!" T'Skay could see his nerve break. "Emergency stop! Eject the wild weasel!" he cried out.

"NO! Damn you!" T'Skay yelled. He broke the connection and set about trying to save his own fleet. The giant _Reaver _and the _Devisor _both slammed on the brakes and ejected shuttlecraft. The two corvettes, confused by the sudden maneuver began trying to figure out where they were supposed to be now. The _Deceit _swung straight down and away from the imposing bulk of the motionless _Reaver_. Her captain was damed if he was gonna try and stay close to that idiot. The _Assassin_ spun first right, then left, then charged into the heart of the drones, trying to shoot them all down as that was what the little ships were designed to do. Nobody had told _him_ about the wild weasels currently attracting all of the seeking weapons. The first weapons began to slam into the fleet as dodging ships cut across the flight path of the powerful weapons, allowing them to re-acquire the ship instead of the electronic bait of the shuttlecraft. The explosions rattled Klingon shields, but did little else. When the two mid-sized Type-S plasma torpedoes the _Shagrat_ had fired exploded on the little wild weasel near the _Devisor_, they actually had to drain batteries to reinforce their shields.

All around them, captains tried to maneuver their ships around the sudden obstacles as well as the seeking weapons that nobody now knew where they were targeted. Several Klingon and Gorn fighters, unable to dodge quickly enough were caught in the drone wave or the explosion of nearby torpedoes and were destroyed. The neat formation was a shambles.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

As crewmen scrambled to get what was needed, the dots representing the Klingon vessels began scattering across the paths of their Gorn and Hydran allies. M'Ralin called out, "Look! They're running!" Heads turned across the bay as the enemy formation dissolved into chaos. The bay doors on each end of the deck slid open and fighters began to recover, flying into the large space at high speed, from both fore and aft.

A cheer went up from the teams as weapons began to impact across the enemy fleets. The high-pitched sounds of phasers and torpedoes firing had become a normal background noise as had the occasional vibration from the impact of enemy weapons. Delac's _Tomcat_ was the last into the bay, skidding across the deck as he backed the power and the retarding fields grabbed hold of the ship. As Wing Commander, he would expect to be the first ready to launch again and Corin's team raced to get the fighter into the bay even as crew were prepping weapons mounts and connecting power and coolant cables. Even while his bird was being pushed into the bay, Delac leapt out of the cockpit and grabbed Corin "Did you SEE? Did you SEE?" The two of them laughed aloud as more Green Wing pilots ran up and joined in.

FOUR enemy ships out of action for several minutes at least and the enemy formation scattering to the skies! A spectacular result for what was, in reality, a fairly small strike. Corin disengaged from the celebrating pilots and returned to working on Delac's _Tomcat_. M'Ralin was struggling to get one of the Countach anti-ship missiles hung on its launch rail. Corin yelled to a pair of kits, "You two! Lend a hand! MOVE!" and watched as the two, obviously brother and sister from their identical markings jumped to work, their small hands helping connect up the mount.

Checking the power couplings and charge rates for the F-14's phaser and shield capacitors, Corin made some small adjustments and ordered another kit to clean the canopy. They were still working on the bird as Delac clambered back into the cockpit and the tug began to push her nose back into the launch tube. Glancing up at the status board, he smiled to see that Nollos had Lt. Tam's _Hornet_ in the tube first. She was hard to beat, that woman, hard to beat...

Wilkes got his attention, "Corin, they're closing awfully fast." and he pointed at the battle display. The Gorn fleet had gone to flank speed and was making course directly for the _Delos_, coming in from behind. The sound of occasional weapon impacts on the _Delos's_ shields was getting more frequent. Silently, they watched as the heavy destroyer _Dosin_ arced up above the Dosadi formation, rolled onto her back and charged straight into the heart of the Gorn ships, weapons blazing, filling space with phasers, torpedoes, and disruptor bolts in all directions. In seconds, one of the Gorn corvettes was falling away, obviously out of control and the destroyer _Tooth_ had felt some of her wrath as well.

But the _Dosin_ was clearly out of the fight. M'Ralin stood silently by. Wilkes spoke softly, "Aren't your parents aboard the _Dosin_?"

"Yes. Mother is a phaser Crew Leader and a father is a Master Torpedoman."

Seeing that the Gorn heavy cruiser _Tyrannus_ had executed an emergency stop to reinforce shields against the _Dosin's_ attack, Corin said, "They bought us the time we needed, M'Ralin. Let's make it count, right?"

ROYAL HYDRAN LIGHT CRUISER SUCCESSION, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Being rattled about in the command chair aboard the _Succession_, Captain Lord Rince Del exclaimed, "God's TEETH!" Ensign Yoshida made no reply as she continued to force the light cruiser into maneuvers that stressed her hull and engines to the limits of their design – and beyond. The Chief Engineer's loud complaints were getting no traction with the captain as the ship rolled, slid, skid, spiraled, and surged past Klingons, wild weasel shuttlecraft, plasma torpedoes, fighters, missiles, phasers and disruptor bolts. The artificial gravity struggled to maintain normal levels and vectors and people rocked in their seats or staggered across the deck in time to the groaning of the hull.

Captain Rince had long since decided to keep Yoshida in the helm position for this fight. Not a single shot fired at – or even near – the _Succession_ had struck home. The woman was clearly a virtuoso at the helm with a sense of what the enemy were doing, seemingly before they even knew themselves. "Engineering _shut UP!_ If you cannot meet my requirements I assure you that I can find someone who will. Now attend to your duties and be silent!" and he slammed his hand on the control panel, cutting the circuit. "Weapons! Continue harassing fire at the carrier. Helm, get us out of this mess and away from those damn Klingons!"

Mindful of the Admiral's orders to keep her ship in close with the Hydran carrier, Yoshida slid the cruiser around the bigger ship, almost as though she were in orbit around it, taking station where she could continue to provide fire support but was out of the path of the scattering Klingons and the remaining seeking weapons the Dosadi had loosed upon them.

Below decks in the Marine command post, which doubled as damage control, Colonel Jons was bracing himself against the gravity's surges. "Lieutenant, if enemy fire doesn't damage us, I believe that the helmsman might!"

The lieutenant laughed, "Either way, we're ready sir. My company is at battle stations in full equipment ready to fight or fix as required." The two of them studied the repeater-display of the tactical situation available from the bridge. The Gorn formation was scattering for their lives, one corvette out of action, a destroyer clearly damaged and a cloud of missiles streaking towards the heavy cruiser and the other corvette. A Dosadi heavy destroyer was curving slowly down and away from the Gorn, badly damaged. The Klingons were motionless and taking fire from three Dosadi _Thunderbolt_ fighters. Their corvettes milling about aimlessly.

Suddenly, three new symbols winked into the display. "What the devil?" Jons asked, leaning forward to get a better view of the display. "Oh, there's going to be hell to pay." A Federation heavy cruiser and destroyer, the _USS Hood_, and _USS Samurai_, and a Dosadi light cruiser, the _ISS Alisar_ had dropped out of warp near the Klingons and were already changing course to intercept them.

"Lieutenant, I don't believe we're going to get much help from the Klingons."

"Doesn't look to me like they were much help anyway, sir."

"Indeed. However, that was the center of our line, and the Gorn on the opposite flank have been routed. The Admiral may have bitten off more than she can chew..."

The display continued to get more complex as their sister ship, the heavy frigate _Hydrus_ launched a plasma shotgun made up of eight type-F plasma torpedoes and the _Delos_ launched all eighteen of her fighters. Seconds later, the _Kingdom_ launched her own fighters. Again, space was full of twisting ships, beam weapons, missiles and plasma torpedoes.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

The _Delos'_ weapons were firing continually. The whine of the phasers, the thunk of missile launchers, the odd sounds of the photon torpedo and disruptor launchers firing, all intermixed with the ringing sounds of enemy weapons impacting on her shields. The gravity was surging in both direction and intensity as energy demands from weapons, shields, and engines argued it out in the ship's computers.

Corin steadied himself against a hull former and shouted to his team, "Make sure your tools are secure! It's going to get rough." Crewmen bent to pull netting across their kits as the music from the bridge swelled to a crescendo. "YES! We got a frigate!" A cheer went up and the Dosadi again began singing as the symbol indicating the enemy frigate began to spin slowly away from the Hydran fleet.

Wilkes was checking his crew, making sure everyone was hydrating, that their tools were secure, that they had what they needed to recharge and rearm the _Tomcat_ when Delac returned. He had just decided that they were ready when weapons began to leak through the _Delos'_ shielding, the sound of explosions echoing through the big hangar bay and vibrating through the deck plates.

A sudden shower of sparks and coolant doused him from above while the force of the impact drove him to his knees. Terrified, he tried to clear his eyes from the blue fluid and beat out the glowing embers that had landed on his red shirt. One of the kits was down, a heavy chunk of ceiling half-covering his small furry body and one of his crew was screaming in pain, obviously badly burned. There was a high-pitched shriek of atmosphere leaking from a hull-breech and he didn't know what to do! There was blood on the deck and people shouting, the screaming sound of a coolant leak and a strobe-light effect from flickering lights and arcing short circuits and the weird sound of Dosadi music behind it all.

Struggling to his feet, looking for where to run he saw Corin. The big cat's tail had been broken about half way down but he was grabbing a patch-kit from the wall recess and yelling orders. Wilkes had no idea what he was saying or who he was issuing orders to. How could he be so _calm_?! Time seemed to slow down for the young human.

He wondered what was going on. It was as though he had all the time in the world. Glancing at the holo-display, he saw the six _Hornets_ from White Wing were engaged in a swirling dogfight with all eighteen of the _Stings_ from the Hydran carrier while Delac's Green Wing was adding pot-shots at the fighters and attacking the _Kingdom _herself_. _The _Lavet Cair_ was shooting her up as well. The _Nareth_ had reduced the Gorn destroyer _Tooth_ to a smoking ruin and the _Shagrat_ had shot the _Tyrannus_ up pretty badly.

He looked around the damaged bay in the strobing arc-light glare – Everyone was moving in slow motion. He really wanted to get the hell out of there before the entire bay blew out. He looked again at Corin. He was close to the air-tight door, he could leave if he wanted to. The door was going to close. Why wasn't he leaving? It looked like he was yelling at M'Ralin, the other Crew Leader. Leader. And something clicked in Wilkes' sub-conscious.

Time snapped back to normal as he raced further into the bay, slapping controls to de-energize the bay circuits and yelling orders to his crew to recover the wounded. Now, instead of time moving slowly it seemed like everything was happening faster than it was possible. As he tried to lift the heavy panel off of the limp kit he knew he was too late. The air-tight door had started closing to isolate the bay and protect the ship and they were on the wrong side, he didn't have time. If he ran now, he could make it.

Instead, he bent his back again, giving one last effort to try to get the chunk of hull off from the little male. He thought to himself, "God dammit, if I'm gonna die, at least I'm gonna die trying!" The plate lifted, but there was no way he could get the kit – and he saw Corin's mate, Nollos had run into the shattered bay, helping to recover the wounded. She grabbed the kit and he dropped the plate, the two of them laughing and racing for the door. As they got there, Corin urging them on, the hull took another hit and blew out, the hurricane force winds caused by venting atmosphere starting to drag them back. Corin grabbed both of them with one hand each and M'Ralin grabbed Corin, the door inexorably lowering on the struggling group.

He and Nollos both had one of the kit's arms, and Corin had one each of theirs. Despairing, Wilkes looked into Corin's strained and anguished face – It simply wasn't possible to pull three people against the force of the air blowing out. He could save one of them, and the kit, but not both. "It's always the guy in the red shirt." Wilkes thought to himself, a bitter and oft-voiced complaint brought about by the far higher casualty rates suffered by Starfleet's services branch. And with a desolate cry, Corin and Nollos let go of each other at the same moment, his free hand sweeping down, now with enough strength to haul Wilkes and the kit out of the bay as the door closed, sealing the breech.

HYDRAN KINGDOM LIGHT CRUISER SUCCESSION, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Colonel Jons was furious. His battalion was being shot to shit and he was stuck on this cruiser, not where the troops who needed him were! Watching the _Horval _and _Hydrus_ being cut to ribbons he knew that his Marines were being killed – The little ships had no real protected spaces and as damage controlmen they were no doubt in the thick of things. He desperately wanted a status report from the platoon aboard each ship, but knew better than to interrupt their leaders during a battle. They would send word when they could.

On the bridge, Captain Rince gave rapid fire orders, "Helm! Close with that corvette! NOW! Weapons – fire the missiles at the ship, phasers at those double-damned fighters! They're slaughtering our _Stings_!" Hoping that the Federation vessels would stay away from her ship and keep focusing on the Klingons, Yoshida rolled the _Succession_ around the back side and under the _Kingdom_ and Captain Rince stood half out of his chair, "HELM! I said..." and as the cruiser continued it's tight orbit around the massive carrier, it came up and under the _Lavet Cair_, her missile launchers firing immediately and her phaser crews attempting to engage the twisting _Hornets, _to little effect.

The Captain sat back down, straightened his uniform and said, "My apologies Helm. Well done." as he watched the Dosadi corvette begin trying to limp away from his ships, clearly out of the fight, the burning holes from his missile impacts glowing across her warp engines. Noting three _Tomcats_ rolling in on the _Kingdom_ he continued, "Weapons, what have we got left? We need to get those fighters off the _Kingdom!_"

"Nothing, sir. We're recharging everything. Between engaging the _Delos, _the _Lavet Cair_, and the fighters we're completely discharged. _Hydrus_ and _Horval_ are out of it and the _Kingdom_'s reporting they're out of battery power, all weapons discharged, shields badly damaged and beginning to take damage throughout the ship."

"Damn it to hell! What about the Gorn? Or the Klingons?"

"The Gorn are scattered, sir, all they've got left is the _Tyrannus_, and she's shot up. The Klingons are fighting for their lives, both corvettes out of action, the _Devisor_'s damaged, and the _Reaver's_ lost her entire forward shielding. They're fully engaged with the Federation vessels and the _Alisar_."

Looking at the Dosadi fleet in his battle-sphere, he shook his head, "How in the hell do they DO that?"

Admiral Kremble signaled a moment later, "Captain, we are disengaging. Prepare for an immediate warp 4 jump at 315 mark 270 on my signal. Take the _Hydrus_ under tow. We will take the _Horval_."

"Yes, Admiral. What about the Gorn?"

"This really wasn't our fight anyway, Captain. There will be another day. Our duty is to preserve our vessels and our crews. On my mark, Captain."

He stood and bowed, "Understood, Admiral."

Colonel Jons would count the dead. He knew them all, by face, by name, by family. Of his battalion of six hundred Marines, he had lost nearly a third. He would spend much of the voyage back to the Sword Worlds preparing the funeral ceremony for his troopers. They had done their duty and done it well. The reports he had in hand indicated that without their valor, both frigates would have been destroyed and the _Kingdom_ would likely have been crippled.

Right at that moment, there were very few creatures in God's universe he hated more than the Dosadi. He would have his revenge one day. For each and every troop they had murdered.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, TOULAGAI

FEBRUARY 2268

Shaking, in pain, exhausted, and in shock, Wilkes looked at his Team Leader. The big cat was looking forlornly at the air-tight door sealing off the destroyed launch bay. "Why?" he asked, his voice breaking.

After a moment, Corin looked at him and managed a sad little smile. "Why what, Wilkes?"

A medical team raced up and began treating the injured team, one of the medics administering a hypo to the critically wounded kit with a loud hiss.

"Why ME? She was your mate!"

Corin flicked an ear back and cocked his head. "Yes? What does that matter?"

"Why did you save me? I'm not your mate! I'm not even a Dosadi! I'm nothing to you!" he was almost crying.

"You really don't understand us at all yet, do you Wilkes? She was my mate, but my responsibility was to you. She knew that, as did I. There was no choice in the matter. She and I are Team Leaders. Our team is our first responsibility. Had I saved her, and allowed you to die, I would have dishonored us both so badly our only choice would be to kill ourselves in shame. Honor means doing what is right – always – even if doing so costs you everything you have or even dreamed of having.

"I would not be the man she loved nor she the woman that I loved had we both not known that basic truth before we were even weaned."

"But..." Wilkes tried to digest this. After a few moments he hung his head and said, "I hate those bastards."

Genuinely surprised, Corin asked, "Who? Why?"

Wilkes looked at him, now almost angry, "The Gorn! The Hydrans! They're the ones who did this! We'll get them back."

"Get them back? For what? This was a clean fight and we all fought well and with honor. There was no treachery, no dishonor...what is there to hate them for?"

"They killed Nollos!"

"And many others. And we killed many of theirs. Star Sailors with mates and children and mothers and fathers who loved them dear. They fought hard, and they fought well. We just fought better today. We'll tell the tales and remember the dead of both sides and light incense for them to honor their sacrifices.

"There will be other mates, and other fights. Those of us who live now must live on for those who died. I will mourn Nollos in my own way, in my own time."

Wilkes was dumbfounded. A medic was treating his burns while another was waving a medi-scanner over Corin's tail. "You did well, Wilkes. I think, perhaps, you understand more than you know. Why did you go back into the bay after the first torpedo hit?"

Wilkes thought. "I guess because I saw you. You were so damn calm. Yelling orders and putting the patch-kit on the hole in the hull. And I couldn't leave the kit, I guess."

Corin watched him for a second. "You are on the right path there, Wilkes." He stood and offered his hand to the young man, "We've still got work to do. We've lounged here long enough."

Fighters, most of them damaged to some degree were flying into the bay, smoke, coolant, and energy scattering across the deck as the pilots struggled to recover safely. Wilkes saw a _Thunderbolt, _missing one 'wing' and afire, blow through the open South bay doors, slamming into the heavy deck plates, buckling several and skidding into a spin as it careened across the bay.

Running towards it, Wilkes joined the bird's crew in trying to put out the fire and rescue her pilots. The fighter was barely in one piece, most of her paint having blistered off. "Jesus. These poor bastards are cooked." he thought to himself as he struggled with the blasted canopy. A damaged _Hornet_ shrieked past them, barely missing the ruined _Thunderbolt_ and the crew working on it.

They finally got the canopy off, struggling not to slip on the firefighting foam that was splattered everywhere and Wilkes helped reach in for the pilot. As he grabbed hold of one side of his harness, he recognized the pattern on the undamaged portion of his combat helmet. It was T'Laren, Eletha's mate. Or it had been. The Team Leader was screaming for a medic, but Wilkes knew it was much too late. The other crew was using plasma torches to cut the gunner out of the rear cockpit and Wilkes looked inside. It looked like a Gatling phaser had caught them. The front cockpit had been blasted open to space, many of the controls and instruments were destroyed and wires and chunks of components were hanging loosely. How T'Laren had managed to stay conscious, let alone fly back to the _Delos_ he had no idea.

Standing straight, he looked around the battered hangar deck. Many of the fighters had taken damage and medical teams were treating wounded pilots and crew who had been caught in weapons hits like his team had.

But, they had won the battle.

As the fleet headed back in to orbit around Toulagai, he wondered if it had been worth it.


	14. Chapter 12

_**CHAPTER 12**_

"_The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable." _

_- Victor Hugo – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

FEBRUARY 2268

It had only been two weeks since the battle at Toulagai. It just seemed like an eternity had passed. Wilkes lay on his back, watching the now-familiar Dosadi stars on the ceiling of the East Living Pod, Sooth curled up on one side of him, Eletha on the other and a puddle of kits by her side. Sometimes Corin would join them, but tonight he had wanted to be alone again. He had been spending a lot of his nights alone since Nollos died, and his friends all worried about that; It wasn't entirely normal for a Dosadi to isolate themselves that much. He listened to the warbling sound of the whirks – the little bugs always reminded him of cicadas.

He thought Eletha had fallen asleep, but Sooth was still awake. He turned his head to look at her and found her watching him. "I still have a hard time just moving on like you Dosadi do." he admitted.

"Still blaming yourself for Nollos?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. I mean, I understand why Corin made the choice he did, I think. I just...I can't accept it. I know he doesn't, but I think he must hate my guts. Every time he sees me he has to be reminded that because of me, his mate is dead."

"Not really. Wilkes, she ran into the bay to help. If you hadn't lifted the plate off the kit, she would have tried and she still wouldn't have made it out. Probably neither of them because Corin would've run in to help. You can play what-if games forever, but no one knows what would have happened, Wilkes, only what _did_ happen." She reached her hand up and caressed his face. "I liked Nollos too, Wilkes. She helped me a lot. But I'm glad you're alive, and glad that we knew her."

He watched her face in the dim blue-grey light of the starry sky. "Got time for a stupid question?"

She smiled, "Sure."

"How do Dosadi kiss?"

She giggled. "Nollos told me you were going to ask me that. She was always studying up on human culture and traditions and history and..." she sighed. "I miss her too." Meeting his eyes again she continued, "We don't really 'kiss'. Our faces are built differently than humanoids are."

"Oh." he was clearly disappointed.

She looked down for a second, then leaned her face in close to his, nuzzled his cheek and he felt her tongue give him a quick raspy lick. She giggled again. "That's what we do."

Wilkes smiled at her, "It's nice."

"Well...you're the first one I've done that to."

"You're kidding me. I'm your first _kiss_?"

Her ears drooped a little, "I told you I haven't had any close friends."

"No, no – Sooth, I'm flattered, I'm amazed I'm..." he shut up and touched her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. After a moment, he leaned closer to her, tipping his head a bit more than normal so that he didn't bash her nose and gently brushed his lips against her mouth. She inhaled sharply, her eyes wide in surprise. He pressed a bit more firmly, extending the kiss for a few seconds and then pulled away. "That's what _we_ do, Sooth. To people we love."

He watched her trying to analyze what had just happened and he heard a muffled "About damn time." from Eletha. He couldn't help it. He started laughing, pulling Sooth close to him. There were a few muffled calls to 'be quiet!' and he tried to stifle his laughs.

Sooth pushed him back a bit, poked her head up and peered up at Eletha, "What do you mean?"

She rolled over and said, "Everyone's been hoping you two would pair up. You never know when your story will end, Sooth. You have to wring everything out of it you can." She rested her hand on Wilkes' shoulder, "You two are always happiest when you're with each other. It only makes sense. Stop being so afraid to be happy.

"You've become some of my most special friends but by all the gods you are two of the densest beings I've ever met!"

Wilkes looked over his shoulder at her. "What did I do?"

"Shush." She shook his shoulder then pointed at Sooth. "You too. Just listen for a minute. Wilkes, Dosadi are individualists in many ways, we don't have a lot of the laws and rules and such that humans do. But what lets us _be_ individuals is because we have a really tight web of friends and family that supports us and guides us. Part of growing up Dosadi is building that net – As kits you have playmates from all over and all ages. You start finding the ones that are going to become special, your really close circle of friends. Usually by the time someone is Sooth's age, they've played at being mates with a number of different people from that inner circle, trying them out, seeing who makes a good partner for them and who doesn't until two of them find the right match and stabilize on each other. But that web is _always_ there. And your web interacts with everyone else's. It's _strong_.

"But Sooth has kept herself isolated her whole life – it's almost impossible to function in our society like that. None of the people she should be able to count on for help, for counsel, for laughter, for joy, for fun are there. She's been adrift her whole life.

"And then _you_ showed up. I don't know if it's because you're just the sweet person that you are, or because she spent so much of her kittenhood with humans or what, but you two click. You fit together. Nollos and I found out about you, Wilkes. You've wandered through _your_ society without any roots."

"I know...But wait..How did you..."

"Shush. I'm talking." she gave his shoulder another friendly little shake. "We take care of each other, Wilkes. Always. I wasn't going to let someone rip her loose from her friends again. I was saying, you've got a lot in common with her.

"But when I see the two of you together, you're a team. I'm finally seeing that web coming into being for Sooth. And for you. Think about it: You two in the center, Corin, me, T'Laren, M'Ralin, Tovath, and Nollos close in, and it gets wider going out more and more. You two aren't just these isolated individuals any more, you're _part_ of us."

"You are fools if you let that slip away. And Sooth, I know what you're afraid of. Don't let that stop you – I miss my mate more than anything. It _hurts_. But the reason it hurts is because it was so wonderful. I'll get through the hurt, and I'll find another mate because that's how I'm strongest and because T'Laren would want me to be happy again. And I will be happy again.

"I've got you, and Wilkes, and Corin, and everyone else to help me through the loss, just like I'll help them through theirs. Now, I'm going to go back to sleep. You two go back to..." she smiled, "being happy for once." And she rolled over, pressing her back against Wilkes'.

Wilkes looked at Sooth and whispered, "Who am I to argue?" and he nuzzled her cheek in a Dosadi kiss. A few moments later he heard a faint rumbling noise coming from Sooth while they cuddled. Surprised he asked, "Are you...purring?"

"I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"No! It's awesome. I didn't know Dosadi purred. Cats on Earth purr. I thought that was like unique to Earth."

"It's involuntary. It just happens when we're feeling really content or satisfied."

"That is even nicer, then. I'm going to have to try to make you purr a lot more."

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

MARCH 2268

Another two weeks passed and their relationship had grown even closer much to the delight of their friends. Wilkes found himself feeling more and more settled aboard the _Delos_ and found it hard to believe that only four months had passed since he left the _Hood_ and not even a year since he graduated from the Academy. Briefly he wondered how Angie was doing aboard the _Enterprise_. By now, she was probably standing bridge watches and planning how to be next in line for the Captain's chair. He thought back to graduation day on the landing field at the Academy when she had told him that there was something out there for him. She had been right, as usual.

Wilkes finished putting his gear away, closed out the files on his PADD for the maintenance they'd done on Delac's _Tomcat_ this shift, and headed back to the East Living Pod. He had gotten one of the machinists aboard to make him something special and the woman had finally finished it. He looked at the tiny little box and smiled, slipping it into his pocket. Walking through the _Delos'_ busy corridors at shift-change always had an impact on him. You tended to forget how many people it took to keep a starship – especially a carrier – running and humming. As a Crew Leader he was usually one of the last to leave his post, which meant he was also usually one of the last to make it to chow.

Indeed, as he walked into the Pod, he could see the rest of his friends had already started in on their meals, so he made a quick stop by a replicator panel and joined them happily. He was glad to see that Corin was there – evidently Eletha had been firm with him about being alone too much. He was even teasing one of her kits, so that was a good sign. Sitting next to Sooth, as usual, he leaned in to her shoulder. "Hiya."

"Hi." she smiled back at him. "Did you like Setho's little double-drill today?"

He laughed, "No. We cycled the damn bird in and out of the launch tube three times, then we got declared 'destroyed' so we ended up sitting there reviewing maintenance procedures for the last half."

"So you loafed. We got yanked from damage control to full armor and a simulated assault transport, then back to damage control drills – while we were still in armor. That's _always_ fun."

Everyone began sharing their stories of the day's drills and wondering if Sethos would give them the night off or run another all-hands drill in the middle of the night. Someone started passing a bottle of Dosadi whiskey around and M'Ralin and Eletha struck up an old a capella song about a famous Dosadi hero who had slain a monster that was carrying off kits in the night.

As the lighting in the 'sky' was dimming to the darker blues of late evening, he leaned close to Sooth and whispered, "Would you share a sleeping spot with me tonight? Just us?"

Eletha cocked an ear at him and smiled. "Damn'd Dosadi ears." he thought to himself.

Sooth smiled shyly and said, "OK."

Holding his hand out to her, he helped her stand up and the two of them went off in search of a comfortable spot for the night. Wilkes finally managed to steer them to one of the more isolated little platforms.

As they curled up with each other, Sooth said, "You're being a little strange tonight, Wilkes."

"I have something for you."

Puzzled she asked, "What?"

"It's a gift. Something to show you that you're special, even when I'm not right near you to tell you so. This will always tell you that." He pulled out the little box and handed it to her. Silently, she opened it up, pulling out a tiny silver bell with a clasp. Holding it up, she gave it a very slight shake, listening to the faint, musical tinkling sound. "It'll clip on your earring. It's tritanium so it'll never rust, and I made sure it'll be faint enough so that you can hear it whenever you move your head, but it won't be very loud, even to your ears, so it won't be distracting."

She reached up and attached the little bell with a smile. "No one's ever given me anything like this before."

"No one's ever given me what you have, Sooth."

"I haven't given you anything."

He touched her throat and cheek, "You've given me a home, Sooth. You've given me your trust, and you've given me the most real happiness I've ever had. I haven't had any really bad times, I've just been sort of...neutral I guess. Just existing. But you make me feel alive." He pulled her close into a hug. They had worked out a method that worked even with the differences between the two species.

As he held her close, he realized he was getting more nervous by the second. "Sooth, if I ask you something, will you promise to at least give me a chance to explain if it comes out wrong?"

"Okay, I guess. What is it?"

He tried to keep his nerve intact. This is ridiculous, he thought. We're both adults. I feel like I'm 13 again. "Well, um." He went for the detached approach, "in uh, your culture, how does say, one person let another person know that they...well...want to...mate."

Her eyes got very wide. Her voice squeaked, "ME?"

He squeezed her tight, "Yes, you." the trembling was back again, "I don't want to push you into anything Sooth, I never want to make you uncomfortable, I never want you to be mad at me. If you don't want to, I won't ask again"

There was a long silence that he didn't dare to break. "I." more silence. "Are you sure? With me?"

He kissed the top of her head, "Yes. There's no one else on any world that I would want to with, but you."

"Wilkes, I've never..."

"That's OK, Sooth."

"But...Wilkes, humanoids are the most prolific species in the galaxy for a reason. I don't know anything. Dosadi aren't that...creative about it. What if I..."

He interrupted her. "Hush. Sooth, I don't care about all that crap. What I care about is you. Being close to you, being part of you, being part of your life. We'll figure our own ways out to have fun."

"You won't laugh at me?"

He kissed her mouth. "Never."

Much later, he nuzzled at her ear, listening to the faint purring sound coming from her throat as she slept in his arms. It wouldn't be the last time in his life he wished that he could purr.

He opened his eyes the next morning to find that the 'sun' was already well up and that he could hear the sounds of the people on duty today heading out to start their shifts. To his delight, Sooth was still asleep in his arms. Slowly sliding his arm out from under her, he thought that he'd go grab something quickly from the replicators and surprise her with it. Breakfast in bed wasn't really something the Dosadi did, but he figured today was a good day to introduce the concept.

As quietly as he could, he pulled on some shorts and climbed down to the deck, getting a couple startled glances from people nearby. As he made his way over to the replicator he found that everyone he passed was grinning at him. Even Kam twitched his ears and whiskers at him and shot him a huge smile before turning away. As he picked up the food tray, he heard Eletha say "Oh my."

He turned to face her. "Good morning!"

She had her hand over her nose. "Um, Wilkes."

"What? What is wrong with everyone this morning?"

She giggled, "Um. Our noses are a _lot_ better than yours."

"So?"

"Scent seems to really cling to you humans."

"Scent? Wha...oh. Shit."

"You really need a shower, Wilkes." She was smiling from ear to ear. Leaning close to him, she gave him a quick Dosadi kiss and said, "I couldn't be more happy." and she moved over to the replicator leaving him standing there feeling like he had just walked into a classroom naked.


	15. Chapter 13

_**CHAPTER 13**_

_"__Look at an infantryman's eyes and you can tell how much war he has seen" _

_- William Henry – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

APRIL 2268

Two months after the battle at Toulagai, Corin was relaxing in the _Delos' _East Living Pod enjoying a snack and some conversation with Wilkes and the rest of their extended group of friends. At the moment, Wilkes was being mauled by Eletha's four kits, roughhousing with them in mock battle. Their mother, still nursing and therefore assigned to duties in the _Delos' _main nursery instead of her usual post as a disruptor targeting officer, had long since learned that she could trust the young human and that she genuinely enjoyed his company. Wilkes had become something of a favorite uncle for her kits who had quickly learned that he had no claws, no fur, and a high tolerance for being used as 'prey' and an endless variety of stories.

Shifting his gaze from the ferocious kits to the younger woman, Sooth, Corin wondered what the future held for her and for Wilkes. The pretty young Marine was actually purring and removing one of Eletha's kits from Wilkes' back while he was 'savagely' mauling two more. The two, or sometimes three, of them often spent their nights together which had led to more than one rumor floating through the crew – rumors Corin did his best to squelch.

The Dosadi didn't have a body- or sexual-privacy taboo like the humans did. The clothing they wore was for its utility, not for modesty. Soft boots protected the feet, loose trousers provided pockets and a cloak had many uses, from hammock to jacket to tent. But Corin knew that the _humans_ had both taboos; strong ones. So he tried to give Wilkes some privacy in both areas. But that didn't mean he didn't wonder. There had been quite a few jokes and stories spread about Wilkes and Sooth mating and the oddities involved in that coupling, some of which Corin believed, some of which he didn't. But it _did_ lead to questions about whether the two species _could_ successfully breed. It wasn't unheard of for two different races to interbreed but it was unusual. Vulcans and humans were a well-known, if uncommon hybrid and their biochemistries were much more different than humans and Dosadi. He tried not to grin as his imagination provided the image of a hairless pink Dosadi with Wilkes' face.

Eletha's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts, "What's so amusing?"

"Nothing, really. Just letting my mind run free." He smiled at her. She was pretty enough, he thought, and he enjoyed her company, so why couldn't he seem to spark any serious interest in her as a mate? Perhaps because every time he looked at her, he saw Nollos' smiling face, the delicate black markings across the backs of her ears and...He shook his head to clear the vision and she smiled at him,

"I know. It can be hard, can't it? Like an echo."

Flicking his ears back and drooping his whiskers he answered "That obvious?"

"Only to one going through the same thing." She looped her tail across his and nodding towards Wilkes and Sooth asked quietly, "Is that pairing wise?"

Clicking his jaw he chuckled, "I have no idea. What will they do when he returns to the _Hood _and to his own people?"

"That's a long journey yet, and the gods alone know its end. Let them have their fun while they can."

"They've surely been doing _that_." he rubbed his shoulder against hers.

"My point was that they are living _now_, not in the past as we are, nor in the future." she leaned back into him, surprising him by purring softly.

DUCHY OF THE SWORD WORLDS, HYDRAN KINGDOM

MAY 2268

As the dawn sun broke over the distant low hills that marked the edge of his holdings, Colonel Jons leaned over the balcony railing, watching as the first light crept across his fields. This was his favorite part of the day, a time of quiet and introspection when one felt the closest to God and one could hear His voice through the silence, setting the tone for the day to come.

When the sun was fully up, he turned and went down to breakfast. His wife, Marin, had the children setting the table and preparing the house for the working day to come. Truly there were few joys as great as home and family, he thought to himself. Though the sight of his two newest children provided just a hint of sadness and regret.

They were the biological children of two of his troopers killed over Toulagai. Both men had joined up to better their caste and were without family or patron. He thought back to that place, unimaginably distant from the Sword Worlds, and to that battle many months ago. Trooper Arens' damage control team had responded to a plasma fire caused by a Dosadi phaser hit in the heavy frigate _Hydrus' _warp drive. With no way to regulate the matter/anti-matter reaction the ship was minutes away from exploding. Without hesitation, Arens had picked up a conduit bridge and charged into the flames, reconnecting the damaged reactor regulation system and saving the ship. He died of his injuries, still holding the conduit bridge in place. His fifteen year-old daughter Sorral and his wife, Beton were now part of Jons' household. Duty demanded that he look after his men in life, and in death.

The same stern charge brought Trooper Tenon's wife and young son to his table. Tenon had been less fortunate – or more, depending upon your point of view – than Arens. Tenon's battle station aboard the heavy frigate _Horval_ had taken a direct hit from a Dosadi disruptor bolt, leaving nothing but a ragged hole in the hull.

Marin gave him a kiss as he sat at the head of the table, indicating the family should sit as well. "My lord, how are you this lovely morning?"

"Very well, my wife. But I know that look – what clever plan are you about?"

She laughed, a musical sound, as she began serving the members of the household at her table. "I can never hide anything from you, can I Seins? And my plan is not so clever, just sensible. As are they all."

"How well do I know it?" he grinned at her, "Since we were wed, my holdings have more than doubled in size, I've advanced three grades in rank, and our treasury fairly bulges with the results of your skilled handling. My father knew what he was doing when he arranged our match!"

"The best matches advance both partners." she agreed, "Duty has its demands, but that doesn't mean one cannot have fun nor gain even more rewards for obedience!"

She put her hand on Sorral's shoulder, "As such, I believe I know of a good match for our newest daughter here." the pretty girl blushed, her bright pink skin turning a deeper red and her mother smiled broadly.

"So soon? She's been with us but a single season!"

"Her skills and charms are obvious to many young men. Lieutenant Sir Chon Tims has been spending quite a lot of time talking with young Sorral here. I think there is much potential for the two of them."

Jons thought about it. The Lieutenant was young and a bit impetuous. A member of a well-connected artisan-caste family, he was well known for his skill and valor in combat as well as his lack of sense outside of battle. He had been knighted after his first battle but had made little progress since. Sorral, from a peasant class family, had already shown that she had solid good sense and the ability to get people, especially young men, to listen to her. The match would advance her caste beyond her father's wildest dreams and provide the young Lieutenant the grounding he so sorely needed. Further, the alliance between his house and that of the Chon family would add to his influence in the business world.

"As I said, wife, a truly clever plan. I will speak with his father this very day."

"You are wise, oh Lord." she teased him.

Grinning back he said more seriously, "I'll need that wisdom. I'm to be posted to the Gorn battlestation at Airdrie for the next couple of months as part of a diplomatic mission."

By now she knew better than to ask for details. "Will it impact our holdings or dealings?"

The reason for the posting was as a military liaison to the Gorn Confederacy. The Gorn and Hydrans had been stirring up the Avatan's frequent conflicts with the Dosadi and generally doing what they could to make life difficult for the cat people. A few months ago, the Dosadi had lost a major ground battle on the Avatan planet of Corlon. The Marshal responsible for the debacle had been well manipulated by agents of the Gorn Confederacy and had recently defected rather than accept his shame before his own people when the facts became known.

He considered the situation carefully before speaking, "Possibly. Investments in Federation munitions suppliers may be wise."

"I'll see to it." she said, reading between the lines. Conflict was possible, but unlikely to spread, so something that stayed local and was far away. There was the chance for a lot of profit if the margins were played with skill. The future was tricky, but a wise planner could account for likely outcomes.


	16. Chapter 14

_**CHAPTER 14**_

"_Pity the warrior who slays all his foes." _

_- Klingon proverb._

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

JUNE 2268

The _Delos_ had made good her losses in crew and fighters in the four months since Toulagai. Her new crew members had been trained up and fully integrated into the extended family that made up her crew.

Newly promoted to Admiral, Nolin hoped that they were as good as he and Sethos thought they were. The sensor pickups went live and he began addressing the crews of the largest fleet the Dosadi had assembled in some time. Two assault carriers, a battleship, two heavy cruisers, two destroyers, a frigate, four corvettes, and a pair of minesweepers. Seven full Wings of fighters and a full battleforce of nearly a thousand Marines. In his formal uniform for this broadcast, he truly did look like Puss-in-Boots, but only Ensign Wilkes noticed the similarity, or indeed was familiar with the fairy tale.

"There has been treachery." He began. To a Dosadi, this was beyond dishonor. "The commander entrusted with the warriors at Corlon was the pawn of the Gorn. Rather than admitting his shame and paying the price, he has fled into their systems, no doubt hoping that he will find some sort of honor among the lizards." he paused, looking into the visual pick-up. "This cannot stand. He has betrayed his family, his name, and all those who put their faith, their trust, their very lives into his treasonous hands.

"We are going to get him back." Another pause, "We know now where he hides. And we are going to get him back. The challenge is great! We must cross the Romulon Empire, sneak through the Gorn border patrols, breech a minefield, and defeat an entire _fleet_ before we can even begin to crack open the hole he has hidden himself in – an entire battlestation, covered in heavy phaser cannon, torpedo and missile launchers. But. - We are going to get him back.

There is an additional challenge. The Federation, our friends, our allies, are allied also with the Gorn. Out of respect for them and to avoid creating difficulties for the humans, we must apply the minimum of force needed to get Furball back. But we are going to get him back. I will be calling on all your skill in this battle, all of your courage.

"Your Captains have their orders. We leave immediately. The gods alone know when, or if we return! Honor above all!"

Lounging together in a small clear area in the East Living Pod, Corin, Eletha, Wilkes, and Sooth looked at each other as the broadcast ended. The Dosadi were excited at the challenge – Wilkes dreaded the coming battle. Since Toulagai, the _Delos_ had been in a couple of smaller scraps and each time Wilkes was nearly physically ill from worry. What if the terror he felt at Toulagai hit him again? What if this time, he ran, like a coward?

What would Sooth think? Or Corin? OR Eletha's kits? The thought was almost more than he could bear. How could the Dosadi be so damn casual about combat? The Challenge Ring was easy compared to battle.

Sooth, draped across Wilkes' lap said, "About time we Marines got to do some real ground-fighting instead of all this damage control work. And against Gorn too! This is going to be fun!"

Eletha, nursing three of her four little ones said, "For you, at least. I'll be stuck herding kits in the nursery until mine are weaned and I'm finally free of these damn things" she indicated her six full breasts.

Wilkes, gently rubbing behind Sooth's ears asked "How can you not be scared? Gorn are twice your size and you're going to be going toe to toe with them, with nothing to protect you."

"Scared? I'm terrified! But that's part of what makes it such fun! I'll finally get to see what I'm made of – to earn a true tale to tell my kits." she giggled, "assuming I ever have any."

Wilkes blushed at the implication and tried to reconcile feeling both terrified and excited at the same time. There was a slight ripple in the ship's artificial gravity as the fleet moved into warp drive and headed towards Airdrie, in a small outcropping of Gorn space, far from home.

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Inspecting Gorn Marine positions aboard the Airdrie Battlestation, Colonel Jons walked alongside Admiral T'Skay. The eight-foot, quarter-ton and more Gorn towered above the four-foot two-inch, eighty-five pound Hydran with his violet skin and bright white hair and his severely cut black and silver uniform. The contrast against the towering, olive-drab colored Gorn in their glittering metallic uniforms could not be greater. "Admiral, I do believe you are ready for any eventuality. Your commanders know their business well, from the electronic defenses to the more..." he waved his hand at the assembled Gorn troops, "Physical. I believe it would take a Division at least to overcome your internal defenses, and they would pay heavily for doing so."

"I don't really anticipate anyone trying it, Colonel. With our isolation here, the Romulons on one side and the Federation on the other, a massive minefield and our Fleet positioned to defend us, there is simply no way anyone could dream of trying to take this station."

As they moved away from the assembled troops, the Colonel looked up at the big lizard, "It's not exactly 'anyone' we're concerned with here, is it, Admiral? You know what the intercepts are pointing towards."

T'Skay hissed in frustration. "Yes. They've lost track of several Dosadi vessels, but 'cannot reveal which ships' to avoid compromising intelligence sources. And the idiot paper-pushing rats have delayed getting Furball deeper into the Confederacy at every turn. 'Delicate alliances with the Federation' they say. I've again been assured that Furball will be moved within a day or two – for the third time this week. There are days I wonder how the Confederacy can manage to feed itself, much less conduct operations of any sort."

Jons smiled, "A hazard of any interstellar government, I'm afraid. We men of action must endure the bureaucrats and pay the price for their folly. Still, you are well prepared. If the kittycats _do_ show up, I expect once they see what's facing them, they'll turn right around again. At least if they've got any sense at all."

The big Gorn admiral paused, "They're going to know what we've got, Colonel. The damn Federation has saddled me with a Dosadi ambassador to try to 'normalize relations'. We've done our best to keep him away from anything that can transmit further than the kitchens, but I'm expecting that he's found some way to get the word out."

The little Hydran hissed, "Then there will be hell to pay."

"Just so long as the damn cats are the ones paying the bill, I'll be happy. Will you be attending the party tonight? We're showing off Furball to the various diplomatic missions AND, to add to the fun, he'll be giving a _speech_!"

Stifling a groan, Jons said, "As the Sword Worlds military attache', I'm afraid I'm required to be there."

Later that evening, both military men were trying to drink enough to drown out the yowling coming from Marshal Furball's seemingly endless speech. Colonel Jons thought to himself, "Thank GOD the Gorn continue to serve food and drink throughout these things or we'd all starve to death before he shuts up." Jons' dinner partner that evening was an attractive, if too tall, young functionary from the Federation. And of course, the humans had no real variation in skin color, which made their appearance rather bland to the Colonel's taste.

The Dosadi ambassador was obviously in a foul mood, which only made Jons feel better about being stuck at the rather silly party. Continuing to engage the empty-headed woman in conversation, Jons noticed T'Skay following an aide out of the ballroom and wondered what was pulling the Admiral away from his triumph.


	17. Chapter 15

_**CHAPTER 15**_

_Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won _

– _Duke of Wellington – Earth (Human)_

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, APPROACHING AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Corin checked the readouts on Delac's _Tomcat_ again. Not for the first time he pitied the pilot, stuck inside the launch tube. At least the _Thunderbolt_ pilots had a gunner aboard to talk to. Rejoining his team around the holo-display, he sat back down on his toolbox.

The _Delos_ and her task force had dropped out of warp almost on top of the Gorn minefield and he could see the foggy space indicating the detected mines already beginning to clog up the display. Off to their left was the big Gorn battlestation and a lot of ships. This was not going to be an easy fight, that was for sure. His Team cheered at the loud whhhoooof of the fighter being launched. Minutes later, the com channels began to broadcast the usual chatter from the initial formations as the first orders were issued and acknowledged. The bridge's selection of battle music started out with an ancient Earth tune, slow and low, 'The Gael', matching the tempo of operations aboard ship. Corin thought again that whoever was the bard on the bridge needed some sort of award.

A volley of missiles streaked away from the fighter groups and Corin ordered "Right! Get the reloads up from ready storage now, make sure you're ready to re-arm and recharge as soon as they're back. We're still early on so take your time and do it right." As was his long habit, he glanced down the hangar bay towards where Lt. Tam's _Hornet_ was berthed. The new Team Leader there was male and seemed to have things well in hand. Corin always felt that Nollos was still there, somehow, and always half-expected to see her white-clad form smiling back at him. But now, he also spared a thought for Eletha, attending to the kits too young to have regular duties. The nursery was well protected and for that he was glad.

His thoughts were interrupted by a squad of armored Marines jogging up in full battle-gear. One Marine approached him in his mottled blue-grey and tan armor, plasma rifle, and helmet in hand. The one solid, one broken bronze stripe across his shoulders marking him as a Team Leader. "Team Leader Corin?"

"That's me." he noticed one of the most junior warriors was Sooth and that she was trying very hard to look as hard as steel. He was quite sure Wilkes noticed her as well.

"Your Team will be needed to prepare a boarding pad for assault transport." Different than standard transporters, the boarding pads were high-powered transporters and were send-only. They were designed for rapid evacuation of a ship, or to beam boarding parties through enemy jamming and were placed alongside some of the launch bays, each large enough to beam a standard team of ten and their leader at a single pass.

"Understood. What's the time-frame?"

"Third wave."

"Got it." he turned to his Team. "Crew Leader Wilkes, you will take charge of that duty. Can you get it done?"

"Yes, sir! I'll get them where they're going."

"Right. Go get the Team Leader and his team situated and prepared for beaming, then get back here as fast as you can run. You're going to have to juggle both duties, but when the time comes, the Marines take priority, right?"

"Understood sir." Wilkes said, gathered up his crew and jogged off, leading the Marines to the pads.

M'Ralin cheered "They got one! A minesweeper just blew up!" and the other Dosadi joined in. Corin spoke quickly, "We're trying to keep casualties to a minimum, remember? This is more like the Challenge Ring – we need to win without killing, to force them to give in, not to kill them."

Ears and tails drooped throughout the team, "Yes, sir." M'Ralin answered back. Neither of his parents had survived the battle at Toulagai when the weapons pods they were stationed in aboard the heavy destroyer _Dosin_ had been savaged by Gorn fire.

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

The human woman..."What was her name?" Jons wondered to himself, oh yes, "Rebecca" or some such, simply would not be quiet. She seemed compelled to maintain a steady stream of chatter about the most insignificant happenings across the Federation. Had it not been for his experience with the truly exceptional Ensign Yoshida aboard the _Succession_, he would discount the entire breed. She suddenly stopped her prattle when a group of half a dozen fully-armored Marines came trooping into the ballroom and took up 'honor guard' positions around Furball.

Jons stifled a grin. Someone had screwed up. Had they been in dress uniforms, they might have explained it away, but in combat gear? Were they afraid Furball was going to run? He looked mad enough to spit and the look he shot T'Skay was pure rage.

Realizing that the woman had asked him something about the Marines he answered "No, no, my dear, a guard of honor is not unusual at all for military men." That was true as far as it went, but in true diplomateese, it left much unsaid. Smiling to reassure her, he was further distracted by a bright flash outside the ballroom's truly massive crystalline windows, a small white blossom of death slowly turning an angry red against the black of space.

He frowned. That was a ship dying out there somewhere. T'Skay's leaving the ballroom earlier, the guards, the flash, it could only mean one thing. They were coming for Furball. T'Skay had run out of time. In fact, T'Skay was hustling out of the ballroom again, no doubt to get to his command post. The Colonel wished that he could accompany him rather than being stuck here out of the loop, unable to contribute. His duty was here, unfortunately.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Corin and his team were hustling. All 18 fighters had recovered at high speed and they were re-charging and re-arming them as fast as they could. The music reflected the frenetic pace with a fast tempo driving tune; even the kits were moving as fast as their much shorter legs could carry them.

They quickly cycled through their tasks, the tugs pushing the fighters back into their launch tubes, the leaders connecting the various lines and making them ready to launch. Crewmen panted while the kits ran about with energy drinks and small snacks or cleaned up the work areas. Moments after the last fighter was loaded into its launch tube, the loud 'whoooooouf' of them launching echoed through the bay again.

Catching their breath and catching up on the battle outside, they saw a Gorn corvette begin making a wobbly turn away from the other ships towards the battlestation, obviously grievously wounded. The fighters again deployed into wings, and again weapons streaked across space.

The tension in the bays increased with the music as the fighter groups held their fire, accelerating to their maximum speed and closing with the Gorn cruisers. Corin ordered, "Get battle damage kits _now_ and make sure the medical team's ready to go."

His Crew Leaders jumped to carry out their orders as the tiny dots within the holo-display merged, and then split again. Counting the returning fighters, Corin was stunned to see them all on their way back while both the enemy battlecruiser and a frigate were staggering out of line. But...The entire team was shocked into silence. The huge Dosadi battleship _Dorsai_ was clearly hit badly by the Gorns' return fire. Everyone aboard was friends with or knew someone serving on her and the fear everyone felt for their well-being was palpable.

But there was no time to worry about their friends as damaged fighters began streaming into both ends of the open deck, slamming into the retarder fields. Delac's _Tomcat_ had taken a couple of light hits from enemy phasers, gouging melted tracks through her wing and hull plates, but nothing serious. Two of M'Ralin's crew began bonding patches and replacing damaged wiring and optical harnesses while Wilkes' crew struggled to reload the bird's weapons and re-charge her shield and phaser capacitors.

Corin spared a moment to glance into the next bay. Medics were hauling the pilot, Lt. Rrawl, out of her smoking cockpit. A replacement pilot was already standing by while the team struggled with replacing the _Tomcat's_ canopy and bonding plates over the gaping hole in the hull. There was no time to worry about their friend. Others now had the responsibility for her. The bird needed to be ready to go again, immediately.

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Colonel Jons could hardly be more disgusted. There was clearly a massive battle going on outside and he was stuck in a dress uniform at a dancing party. "Might as well be a dress." he thought to himself. Young Rebecca was pestering him for his opinions on what might be happening, and displaying a bureaucrat's usual knowledge about military matters: None whatsoever.

"My dear, starship combat is not quite what you've seen in the entertainment suites. There are no handsome, heroic pirates flying to the rescue in a shuttlecraft, nor are things quite as clean as you see there. A ship is a team where everyone must play their part and believe me the casualties are very real, very bloody, and very personal."

She seemed to not believe him, "What I don't understand is how there's any sort of fight at all. Whoever it is _must_ know that Starfleet doesn't allow this sort of banditry. Do they think there's something to steal? Do they think they can get away with disturbing the peace and causing all this damage? It's not _right_."

Struggling to maintain his diplomatic composure, the Colonel tried to explain, "Madame, in the first place, we are a long way from Federation territory. In the second, Starfleet allows, and in fact often encourages, a great deal of banditry in the name of maintaining the peace. Thirdly, if what I think is occurring is in fact occurring, they are not coming here to steal anything. No bandit possesses the firepower needed to seriously threaten this station, much less the Gorn fleet stationed here."

"Why Colonel! You must not know very much about Starfleet. They're the maintainers of peace throughout the galaxy! Why, they protect everyone – they're a force for _Justice_."

Staring at the woman, Jons made one more attempt. "And do you think the Romulons, or the Klingons, or the Orions would agree that Starfleet protects everyone? Or do you think that they would even agree with your definition of Justice?"

She was clearly struggling with the concept, "Well, Justice is a universal, Colonel, everyone knows _that_. And yes, I think they would agree with me. The only times we've fought with them it was because they attacked _US_. Starfleet is a defensive organization only."

He smiled, "But of course. How silly of me." Another very bright flash outside the window caught his attention. Looking back down, he saw the Dosadi ambassador offering a silent toast across the room to T'Skay, who got up and quickly left again. "Well, in any case, Starfleet is not here, but it appears that the Dosadi ARE."

"The Dosadi? They're so cute! I don't think they would attack the Gorn – we're all allies, it would be silly for them to attack an ally. If they were attacking us do you think the Dosadi ambassador would still be here? Look! He's having a great time! And the guest of honor is a Dosadi besides."

"My dear child, the Dosadi are not whatever you think they are. They are vicious, blood-thirsty and utterly without fear. Their entire lives are dedicated to fighting anyone and anything that gets in their way. The guest of honor there, is an outcast who has, to their twisted way of thinking, betrayed their society and they are very likely coming here to get him back,whatever the cost."

"Well, I guess we'll see who's right, won't we, Colonel?" she smiled brightly, utterly certain that she was correct and Jons, as a Soldier, was just too ignorant and hide-bound to really understand the world as it was.

Jons rubbed his temple and reminded himself again that his duty was to be diplomatic, to be patient, and to be calm. "Indeed, we shall! If you are right, I shall buy you a bottle of your favorite wine as a prize." and he smiled at her.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

The fighters had returned again, and again his team moved as quickly as they could, hauling 400 lb missiles, heavy cables, hull patches, parts, and tools up and down the birds. The exhaustion was starting to tell on his team. But the work needed to be done fast, and perfectly every time. Each time they returned, there was more battle damage to be repaired, more friends being hauled out of cockpits with burns, impact or shock injuries, and more parts to be replaced – both living and mechanical.

They had damaged the enemy carrier though, with Delac leading Green Wing in an assault that was followed by the destroyers and the heavy cruiser _Thelet_. Her fighters were airborne now though – it was vital that the _Delos' _own birds be back up immediately or the Gorn fighters would do to them what they had just done to the Gorn. It seemed like an eternity before the fighters were finally back in their launchers and the familiar sound of their launching echoed throughout the bays.

Sitting on his tool box, panting and trying to down an energy drink, Corin watched the swirling combat outside his ship. The holo-display showed six Gorn _Thunderbolts_ being annihilated by Delac's _Tomcats_ before they could even get a shot off. Three of the _Hornets_ from the heavy cruiser _Dinen_ charged into six _Stings_ from the _Troy_, and while the dogfight raged, six Gorn _Tomcats_ launched their own missiles at the _Delos_ moments before being obliterated by a plasma-torpedo shotgun fired by the _Dinen_.

Watching only a single _Sting_ struggle away from the fight, Corin wondered about the Gorn. Three entire wings, destroyed. 24 pilots and gunners, gone just like that. The Gorn maintenance crews waiting for their birds to return, for their friends to jump out of cockpits with their tales to tell of valor and courage. But of course, they would never hear those stories. He knew one of the Team Leaders in Black Wing and wondered if one of the three lost Dosadi _Hornets_ was his. They would have to tell the tales for those who no longer had a voice. The Gorn pilots were brave and fought hard. They deserved no less.

And again he found his thoughts returning to Nollos, her smile, the ferocity with which she did her job and drove her team, and how much he missed her. He hoped that Eletha was staying safe. But the empty fighters were returning again – there was no time to waste on personal thoughts.

"On your feet!" he roared, "Break time's over you lazy kits! Get the reloads up from ready storage NOW! You! Kit! Get that crap off the deck! Wilkes! You had better get those fucking tools where they belong or you're going to be eating them when Delac lands – Secure that shit."

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Colonel Jons had just regained his seat after safely maneuvering his much taller partner around the dance floor to a dance that had been popular on Earth before they even discovered warp drive. He was glad that he didn't have to try to dance with a Gorn. As he reached for his wine, he noticed T'Skay drench several people sitting across from him. He wondered what it was the aide whispering in his ear had said. Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't good as T'Skay almost ran out of the ballroom.

He tried to think how many ships the Dosadi could have brought with them – it _couldn't_ have been very many. The Romulons would never let a large fleet through their territory, they hated the Dosadi more than anyone after the Razing of Romulus.. Would they? What would it take for them to do so...?

The flashes outside the big windows were getting closer. That clearly meant that things were not going well for the Gorn. The green lines of phaser blasts were visible now and the streaks of missiles and fighters racing between invisible starships glittered against the deep black of space. What size fleet had the cats brought with them? The Gorn fleet was massive, with fighter support from both a carrier and the station. He began to wish he had brought his own battle armor and weapon with him. The closest thing to a weapon he had available was a steak knife. Rebecca interrupted his thoughts again.

"I said, thank you for the dance, Colonel."

"Huh, what? Oh, of course, I'm sorry, I was distracted. The pleasure was entirely mine, madame. The Gorn set an excellent table, do they not?"

"Yes, they do – what is this wine?"

"Ah! It is actually a drink from my home-world. A fermentation of a vine-fruit that is close to your grapes but with a much crisper flavor, I think you'll agree."

"Oh definitely." She glanced up as a number of rapid-fire flashes lit up the windows. Colonel Jons recognized them as exploding fighters and grimaced at the deaths that represented.

"Well, battle or not, it's quite pretty from here." she said. "Like fireworks!"

The Colonel made no reply, saying a silent prayer for the souls of the dead – of whichever side.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Wilkes, dripping sweat and splattered with lubricant and coolant got Corin's attention, "Corin, we're down to our last reloads in ready storage, we've used up about half our total missile reloads and if they don't start giving us more power for re-charges, it's going to take a lot longer to get the birds ready to go again. We're running low on hull patches and coolant. They're pushing the birds harder then they were ever designed to go and they're getting shot to shit."

Corin studied the holo-display. The fleet was closing with the battlestation, and several more Gorn ships had been forced to disengage. The _Delos_ staggered as several weapons struck home. Most of the ships had begun taking damage but so far Nolin was maneuvering his ships like a master, forcing the Gorn to continually engage different ships without the opportunity to concentrate their fire.

"Corin, they're on their way back again."

Sighing heavily, his tail drooping Corin replied, "Get the last reloads up from ready storage I'll tell the bridge we need more made available. Figure out something on the power, we don't have it to spare. Use the coolant and the patches until they're gone, and then piss in the damn tanks and cut plates off the hull if you have to." He turned to a comm-panel and began punching buttons.

As Corin finished his report to the bridge, the first fighters began to slam down the deck, the scream of displaced air matching the groaning of the retarding fields and the exhausted teams jumped to their tasks again.

The music was still playing throughout the bay, but the weary crews were too tired to sing. Pilots staggered out of their cockpits to lay flat on the deck while frightened, tired kits tried to give drinks and snacks to the sagging adults. Almost half of the pilots had become casualties to one degree or another and the _Delos_ was out of replacements. Laying on his back next to his shattered helmet, his face bloody and trying to recover some sense of balance, Delac was still issuing orders through his com-set. "Tell the medical officer that he needs to start triaging the pilots. We're _all_ beat up. We need to keep the birds manned and flying, that's all there is to it."

Delac watched the holo-display while he tried to catch his breath. Another Gorn ship exploded. As thick, green lines raced across the display from the battlestation to their sister-ship the _Eleth_, he exclaimed "By all the gods!" The phaser-IV's slammed into the carrier along with a cloud of weapons from the Gorn fleet. In return, the _Eleth's_ fighter groups were shooting the hell out of anything that moved.

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

"What on EARTH?!" Rebecca exclaimed as the lights in the ballroom dimmed and the entire room flashed bright green for a moment.

Furball spun around in his seat and looked out the big crystal windows, finally realizing what had been happening behind him.

Colonel Jons picked up his wine glass and admired the crystalline sapphire color of the drink. "That, my dear, is a Federation designed fusion-powered heavy Phaser Cannon Mark IV, with an impact energy of about 20 megatons. The fact that the station is firing them means that the Dosadi have managed, somehow, to burn through a rather large minefield, shoot through T'Skay's massive battle fleet and get close enough to the station to be in range of those weapons. I believe your phrase for it is 'Guess who's coming to dinner?'" and he smiled.

The young woman looked up, her mouth hanging open. "It just can't be. There must be some other reason. Come, dance with me! It's still a party, right?" The Colonel was stunned. Did this woman inhabit some other universe? He allowed himself to be urged onto the dance floor. They were still dancing when the lights dimmed to a battle-red and a full squad of twelve armed and armored Marines began to take up defensive stations in the ballroom. There was light applause from the bewildered diplomatic guests as six _Thunderbolt_ fighters launched past the windows, angling up into space.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Corin was still watching the holo-display as he argued with the Manpower officer on the bridge. The _Delos_ was still taking hits although it sounded like her shields were holding most of the time and the damage was minimal. The _ISS Dinen_ in an act of valor beyond anything he had ever seen had undertaken a nearly single-handed attack on the battlestation, absorbing a constant pounding by the phaser cannon and managing to down the station's number-six shield in the process. She was now racing up and away from the station, all six of her shields utterly collapsed and damage scattered across the entire vessel. Corin simply could not understand how the ship had not been destroyed.

But while they were shooting the heavy cruiser, they were NOT shooting anyone else. The Gorn fleet was essentially combat-ineffective with only one vessel still actively maneuvering against them. They had closed to within transporter range and the fighters were sitting in their launch tubes waiting for the next strike assuming their pilots didn't collapse from exhaustion while sitting in their cockpits.

"Wilkes! Take your crew down to the boarding pad. It's time."

Clearly exhausted, Wilkes got to his feet, gathered up his four crewmen and made their way down to the boarding pad. He approached the Team Leader, a big male named T'Awn. "Team Leader, if you wanted to get your team ready, we're within range now. The order could come at any time."

"Understood Crew Leader. We've got a few minutes – one of my crews is on a damage control call right now, but I'll signal them to return." He began to speak into his com-set as Wilkes caught Sooth's eye. They made their way a short bit apart from the rest of the Marines.

"Are you ready? Are you OK?" he asked her.

Her blue eyes were wide and she was trembling slightly. "I think so. I can't decide if I'm more excited or terrified." she chuckled. "I think terrified."

He studied her for a moment. She looked supremely dangerous in her camouflaged armor, with a heavy plasma rifle in her hands, her armor festooned with ammunition, knives, and explosives and a combat helmet tucked under her arm. But what he saw was a beautiful young being, someone who had become more dear to him than anyone or anything in the universe. The fact that she looked like a large cat had nothing to do with what his heart felt. He wrapped her in his arms in a powerful hug – not a gesture the Dosadi used but one Sooth was well familiar with by now and returned with gusto. A few of the other Marines chuckled at this odd display and exchanged knowing looks.

Wilkes turned away from her and began preparing the transport pad, opening sensor arrays and looking for weak points in the Gorn jamming fields designed to scatter transporter beams.

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Rebecca was becoming irritated. The dim lighting was acceptable, but when the heavy fiber-coil window shields slid into place, cutting off the view of the stars and the Marines stationed in the ballroom began to flip tables over, it was simply too much. The gas-tight doors had come down, effectively trapping them all in here and was this really necessary?

Still dancing with Colonel Jons she whined, "I say, I don't see why they have to dirty up OUR party! Why, these Dosadi won't bother us! We're civilians! See? Even the Dosadi ambassador is still enjoying his dinner!"

Disgusted, Jons glanced at the ambassador. He was digging into his steak with a huge, fang-baring smile on his face, chuckling every now and again. The Colonel would have sworn that the man was purring. Returning his attention to the empty headed Federation bureaucrat he said, "Madame, the Dosadi consider civilians to be a particular delicacy. If this station cannot fight them off, you may find yourself being served at THEIR next party."

"Eek!" she said, dumfounded. Sheltered her entire life by the power of the Federation Starfleet, she had almost certainly never been in any physical danger in her life. The concepts she had been exposed to tonight had shaken her to her very core.

Moments later the station began to shake and ring as though the entire structure were being slammed by a giant hammer. Her eyes wide, she tried to grasp what was happening. Colonel Jons said "I'm sure that Starfleet won't allow anything to happen. Shall we continue our dance? We should set the example, after all!" and he urged her back into motion.

They continued to dance as the sound of distant explosions began to be heard over the music. The Colonel felt that things were getting a bit surreal. He could hear the sounds of infantry combat through the hull plates and knew that Marines were fighting it out. He hoped that the Gorn defenses were as strong as they looked. But, he noted, there were ragged gaps in the Phaser Cannon fire coming from the station and he was not hearing much, if any, anti-fighter fire from Gatling phasers. That did not bode well.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Wilkes held up two fingers to the Team Leader "TWO minutes! TWO!"

The big cat signaled his team and they crouched into assault formations, each crew of four and their leader ready to clear their side of whatever space they materialized in. An assault transport was the riskiest possible military operation. Defenders would have a fraction of a second to see where they were going to appear, and another fraction of a second before the Dosadi could react. Training – both quality and quantity - meant the difference between life and death.

Sooth tried to stop her hands from trembling as she knelt, looking through her close-quarter optics and covering what would be her sector as soon as they materialized.

"SIXTY SECONDS!"

Her mouth was dry and she desperately wanted to pee. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She could hear her teammates breathing in her ear-piece.

"FIVE SECONDS!"

She reminded herself of her training, deep breaths to calm herself and steady her heartbeat. Scan your sector. Engage any targets. Her crew would move to the Crew Leader's right and clear that half of the room, then sweep around clockwise and meet up with the other crew. Easy.

"ENERGIZING!" She felt the world turn inside out. Wilkes shamelessly stole power from any system he could find, working the slides on the console to find a weak-point in the timing of the Gorn jamming fields. There was a large open-space on the sensors with what looked like a low population density. He aimed for the center of that spot and slammed the beam down as quickly as the system could manage it, praying to a God he had long forgotten that this would give Sooth that extra fraction of a second and keep her team intact...and then everything was obscured by a new wave of jamming. Breathing hard and with a sick knot of fear in his gut, he stepped back from the controls and headed back towards the fighter bay.

Colonel Jons opened his mouth to suggest that the two of them return to their seats when he heard the loud hum of a transporter beam. The music would mask the sound from anyone not within a few feet, but to him it was like an alarm horn. Shoving the empty-headed young woman down and away, he dropped into a fighting crouch as a blue-grey and tan mottled Dosadi Marine appeared directly in front of him, the muzzle of a plasma rifle inches from his face.

With the lighting speed of the highly-experienced combat-veteran that he was, he grabbed the barrel of the Marine's weapon and dragged them towards him. In a gun fight when you had no gun, the safest place was right on top of your enemy.

Sooth blinked to clear her vision from the fastest transport she had ever been through and felt someone grab her rifle. As she pulled back, dragging the tiny violet-skinned humanoid towards her, she heard her team opening fire. The two of them tumbled, with the little man kicking into her belly and launching her up and away. Maintaining her hold on her weapon, she landed on her back and swung the barrel – and the man, still clinging tightly to her weapon but seemingly crawling up it – back down, firing several rounds towards what could only be Gorn Marines as she did so. She had no idea if she hit anything or not and the sounds of plasma rifles and rail guns were drowned out by her own cursing and by that of the strange little man in the black and silver uniform. As they struggled they rolled across a young human female who was screaming and crying in terror. Flat on her back, Sooth was finally able to slam the butt of her rifle up and under the man's chin and then followed with a smashing blow to his face, knocking him off of her. As she rolled onto her stomach and began engaging the Gorn on her side of the room she felt a searing pain go up her back as her armor slammed up into the back of her helmet.

It was an agony like nothing she had ever felt before. There was more noise, and screaming and it was getting hard to see. Probably the smoke, she decided. She continued to fire at the knot of Gorns across from her, unsure how many were still returning her fire. There was an explosion near her, people swearing in Dosadi, and she realized her helmet was gone and with it her com-set.

Struggling to reload her plasma rifle, she noticed the floor was covered in blood. That was going to be a serious mess for some kit to clean up. She finally got the magazine into the weapon, and decided that she should start to sweep clockwise. Her team was supposed to go clockwise. Rising to her knee, she shot several Gorn troopers who had been firing in a direction that made no sense to her. She felt good about her marksmanship; she saw them fall. The plasma rifle was a devastating weapon and she was quite good with it.

She tried to turn more to her right. It was getting very quiet in the room, perhaps they had got them all. Even the lights had been shot out, she thought. She felt another impact in her left shoulder but it didn't really matter. She had armor. She could barely see another pair of Gorn troopers in the dim light and engaged them both, wrestling with the heavy rifle since her left arm didn't seem to want to work any more. Probably because Wilkes was laying on it. Whenever he did that it always fell asleep like this. And sleeping with him was always so nice. He was warm, and she was so very cold for some reason.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, MANEUVERING, AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Wilkes was trying to hurry back to the fighter bay. He had heard them launch again and knew he and his crew would be needed there within minutes. He saw Corin and M'Ralin manhandling a Countach missile out of the ready locker and then a Gorn phaser sliced through the hull and into the bay, splitting the 20' missile in half and throwing both men into the bulkhead like rag dolls. Firefighting gas was discharging into the bay as burning coolant, lubricants and propellant sprayed in all directions.

It was the nightmare all over again, except now, Corin wasn't there – Corin was hurt, his head a bloody mess. It was all Wilkes. He was the only Leader left. Everyone in the bay was down and the fire was spreading fast. And finally, Wilkes understood. He understood the Dosadi philosophy, he understood his own life, and everything made sense in one blinding shock of clarity. Our lives are a story, a story that always ends for everyone. What mattered was when you came to the end of your tale, how you wrapped it up.

Yelling over his shoulder as he ran, "FOLLOW ME!" he led his crew into the burning bay against the smoke, the flames and the venting atmosphere. "Get them out of here! MOVE!" The ready-locker was open, its ballistic door blown off by the phaser blast, a half-dozen missiles exposed to the flames. If those went off inside the bay, there wouldn't be anything left of anyone. He grabbed a fire-fighting kit and began blasting the flames away from the locker, his back to the warheads.

But he was running the Red Queen's Race – having to run twice as fast just to stay in one place. If he could just hold the fire off long enough for his crew to get the wounded out of the bay, they could blow a hull-plate and vent the fire into space or something. But there was no time – the door was closing to isolate the bay and it was getting so hot. His uniform was beginning to scorch and blister and he could feel his face burning. God it was hot. The fire-fighting kit wouldn't last forever and it felt like the flames were getting closer. If only he could see if they had gotten everyone out, he could leave and they could let the door close. But it was too hot, he couldn't even keep his eyes open and god it was hurting so bad. He hoped Sooth was OK. He coughed as he inhaled a lung-full of toxic smoke and that was the last thing Wilkes knew.


	18. Chapter 16

_**CHAPTER 16**_

"_What we leave behind is as important as how we've lived. After all, Number One, we're only mortal." - CPT Jean Luc Picard (Human) aboard USS Enterprise_

"_Speak for yourself, sir. I plan to live forever." - Commander William Riker (Human) aboard USS Enterprise_

GORN BATTLESTATION AIRDRIE, IN ORBIT OVER AIRDRIE

JULY 2268

Colonel Jons came back to consciousness with a start. The first face he saw was that of Consular Officer 4th Class Rebecca Roberts. "Colonel? Oh, please be OK. Please!"

He tried to sit up but gave up on that idea almost instantly. When he tried to speak, he found that was nearly impossible, producing a mumbled groan. From long experience he realized he had taken some fairly massive facial trauma. That meant weeks in regeneration, but it was certainly better than being dead. He struggled to make her understand that he needed to know what had happened, what the situation was and she finally got some glimmer of what he was after.

"Oh! It's terrible! Everyone's dead and everything's blown up and it's horrible and we're all going to die!"

Since Jons could hear people moving around and wasn't hearing weapons fire, he was reasonably certain she was incorrect. He managed to gargle out "Dottthadi?"

"They left. It was so awful! You almost crushed me when you grabbed that one! She shot a bunch of Gorn. She was terrible! I thought the Gorn were going to win and then she just started killing all of them!"

His eyes bugging open despite the pain, he struggled to ask "Wwooman?!"

"Yes, it was a girl. Her helmet got blown off when something exploded near us. It's a good thing the Dosadi were all around where it blew up, it HURT!"

Grenade, he decided. And it would seem he was continually underestimating the females of other species. That was a habit he was going to have to break. "wwoooman." he slurred again, slowly shaking his head back and forth.

"Oh it's OK, Colonel. I think she died. They shot her a lot because she was killing them."

Slowly turning his head to one side, he could see large chunks of Dosadi battle armor scattered around the floor, big pools of congealing blood and a shattered blue-grey and tan combat helmet as well as several empty plasma rifle magazines. Bits of medical kits, and bits of people were mixed in with the scorch marks and other debris. He could also see the bodies of over half a dozen Gorn Marines laying grotesquely where they had fallen. His eyes welled up at the losses. "Fucking Dosadi" he thought to himself. Trying to speak clearly he gurgled out "Wwheere?"

"I said already. They left. After they killed everyone they talked to the ambassador and a few minutes later they all left. Even the ambassador!"

Struggling with his damaged mouth he gasped out "bodieth?"

"All OVER!" Seeing the expression on his face a small, dim light went on in her brain and she said, "Oh. The Dosadi, They took them with them. I think there were seven of them killed. I know three were. You could tell. Some of them got on me." She shuddered and then vomited at the memory and began weeping uncontrollably.

Finally a medic made his way over to them, "Sorry to take so long , Colonel. There were heavy casualties." He relaxed. At least he would live to see his home and family again.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

AUGUST 2268

Eletha sat nursing two of her kits, listening to the soft whirs and beeps of the medical equipment attached to the diagnostic beds. The other two were playing quietly around the equipment, but being good. The deeper thrum of the pulse monitor began going faster and she leaned over the form in the bed, still covered in healing-gel, the burns visible even through the disgusting blue-green of the gel.

Wilkes' eyes opened and darted left and right, struggling to make sense of what they were seeing, struggling against the restraints. Eletha said quickly, in Standard, "Shh! You're going to be OK. Don't fight. You're in the hospital and immersed in gel. Your lungs and skin were badly burned. This will help you heal but you must relax and let it work. It's going to feel very strange, but don't try to breathe – your lungs are full of gel. But you don't need to breathe. It's OK. You're going to be fine."

His mouth opened and closed again, his eyes puzzled.

Eletha pulled a small circular communicator out of her belt and spoke into it. Wilkes was clearly struggling to say something but there was simply no way that was going to happen.

A few minutes later, Corin came into the room sporting a rakish eye-patch and with a sizable chunk missing out of his right ear. He leaned into Wilkes' field of view and smiled. "Well, it looks like there's something left of your tale after all! I'm glad I'll be around to hear it, thanks to you as I understand it."

Wilkes struggled again and Corin said "Be still, Crew Leader. I know – you want to know what happened. Relax and listen to the tale and each part will be in it's proper place." Corin hitched his butt up on the edge of the bed so that Wilkes could see him through the gel. Having been in the gel himself once before he knew how distorting it was to both sight and sound. He hoped they'd be able to regenerate his eye and ear without another trip into that horrible muck.

"I'll begin where my memory ends. The phaser hit came from the battlecruiser _Zion_ and cut straight through the _Delos'_ east hangar pod. It was just our bad luck that it hit when we had the ready-locker door open. In any case, the explosion knocked myself and M'Ralin and his entire crew out of the fight. M'Ralin didn't make it, I'm afraid, but the rest of his crew did, thanks to you. Your crew was able to get everyone out before the door closed, even those that were buried under debris.

"And there you were, standing in a plasma fire like one of the gods themselves, forcing the flames away from the ready-locker while the air-tight door came slamming down like Loreth's blade. Now let me just say that you are the luckiest being that I have ever encountered. Apparently one of the hull plates let loose right after the door closed and blew you – and the fire – and a bay full of atmosphere out into space. Directly in front of Lt Voreth's crippled _Thunderbolt_ on recovery. He said he almost ran you down, but instead, his gunner had the forethought to snag you with their grappler beam on the way past and into the landing deck. You were exposed to vacuum for about 15 seconds is all. Which, of course, is plenty long enough to give you more scars than anyone should be allowed!

"The reports I got back from the Marine party you beamed down were also astonishing." Wilkes eyes were narrowed, focusing on Corin with everything Wilkes had. "According to them – and the transporter logs - that was the fastest transport on record. Speaking of which, Admiral Nolin wants to speak with you personally about an unauthorized redirection of power from the fighter bays to the boarding-pad. However, they were also the only team that materialized in an intact formation until we took out the Gorn jamming fields so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

"There's some hard news though, Wilkes. The Marine team materialized almost in front of Furball – how you managed to find him none of us will ever know, but they were surrounded by no less than eighteen Gorn Marines. A bunch of the Gorn grabbed the traitor and ran, but engaged our team on the way out while the remaining dozen shot it out with the team. They were getting slaughtered when Sooth, who had been grappling with some Sword Worlds diplomat clubbed him like a baby seal and just started picking the Gorn off like she was on a shooting range. The Gorn seem to have taken that personally.

"They shot the hell out of her, Wilkes. When the team recovered wounded, her armor had been almost completely shot off. But while they were shooting her, she just continued killing them one after another. Battle records show that she was directly or indirectly responsible for killing eight of the twelve and wounded two of the six guarding Furball. They fought with great honor, Wilkes. Not a single civilian was hit by our fire, but they paid the price. Five dead including the Team Leader and six injured, three massively."

Seeing Wilkes struggling in the gel, Corin finally realized what he had failed to say "No! No! Ahh! I'm a fool, Wilkes, she's alive. She was one of the critically injured! I said when they recovered wounded they got her."

Wilkes' eyes were still wild and Eletha said quietly, "Tell him."

"She's not conscious, Wilkes. The medics don't know if she ever will be. She lost a massive amount of blood and they're having to regenerate a good size chunk of her shoulder and a lot of her back. Her skull was fractured in several places, one ear was shot off..." Wilkes eyes were closed. It was impossible to really cry immersed in healing gel, but it was obvious to the two aliens that that was what was happening with his mouth open and his chest struggling against the gel. The Dosadi believe knowledge is power and have no culture of breaking bad news gently. There was a faint hissing sound as the bed administered an anesthetic and Wilkes lapsed into a drugged sleep.

DUCHY OF THE SWORD WORLDS, HYDRAN KINGDOM

OCTOBER 2268

Finally healed and back on his own holdings, Colonel Jons was indulging himself with a glass of wine by a roaring fire while a winter monsoon doused the fields. Thanks be to GOD he was done with regeneration and able to again enjoy his wife's cooking and little creature comforts like this.

Sorral was safely married off to her young Lieutenant and his wife had already taken advantage of the new influence that pairing had brought them. Truly the woman was a marvel. He allowed himself to gaze into the fire and thought about that. He knew women – the good ones at least – were capable managers of house and purse. But he was forced, now, to accept that there was much more to the gender than domestic pursuits. That young human aboard the _Succession_ for instance. He had never in all his 75 years encountered someone able to helm a starship like that.

Rubbing his hand along his newly regenerated jaw, he remembered the Dosadi Marine who had crushed his face. He had reviewed the ballroom sensor logs that T'Skay had sent him and she had been very young. Her battle armor had no stripes of rank on it whatsoever – she was a raw Troop but had reacted flawlessly, beating him fairly and then carrying out her duties with a single-minded focus like none he had seen in many bloody battles. He recalled watching the tapes as she calmly fired her weapon despite repeated hits from Gorn fire and then reloading and continuing to fire even after a grenade hit and one shoulder had been blown nearly off. He had actually wept when she finally toppled forward into a pool of her own blood, but then, the Colonel was a very emotional man.

It was a pity she had died, but the Federation woman was right. There was no way anyone could survive that many wounds. He would have liked to have met her under different circumstances. Woman or no, she had been a Warrior and definitely worthy of the title Marine.

IMPERIAL DOSADI ASSAULT CARRIER ISS DELOS, UNDER WAY

FEBRUARY 2269

Corin walked along with Wilkes as they headed towards the _Delos_' launch bays. "So, you're returning to the _Hood?_" he asked. His new eye itched and the new skin on his torn ear was still hairless and left it feeling cold.

"Well, it's time, Corin." he laughed, "My orders were to the _Delos_ for a year, not forever. That's not how the Exchange Program works. They had to extend it to allow me to recuperate here."

"Yes, but you're not seen as a Federation officer any more, Wilkes. You've proven yourself. You're a Dosadi – just an uncommonly ugly one." He smiled at the human, "Look at yourself! A Warrior Pendant, an Honor Tattoo around your eye and an earring. I've seen Federation entertainments – they'll think you're a pirate."

Wilkes laughed, "I've already cleared being able to continue to wear both as a 'Foreign Decoration for Valor'" But I'll tell you this, it's not forever, Corin. We just wanted her to get a taste of MY culture before we settle someplace. Captain Karmes was fine with taking Sooth on as a Security Officer, despite her injuries – and you'll get another human in exchange!"

Corin groaned as they entered the shuttle bay. "Hopefully THIS one can learn to speak Dosadi. Your accent is still atrocious."

Wilkes and Sooth both laughed as Wilkes took the handholds on Sooth's wheelchair and began to push her into the shuttlecraft. She was still a patchwork of fur, scars, and bald new skin. She turned her head towards Corin and said, "Once I get out of this damn thing and we get back here, I hope to hear that you and Eletha are mated."

"It's too soon for that, yet, Sooth." Corin said and as the shuttle door slid closed he said more softly, "But in a year's time? Who knows? That's a long journey yet." and he turned to go back to the East Living Pod.


End file.
